After ten years (and old grudges) the foreign ministers of the two countries have met again to lay the foundations for economic cooperation. Along with commercial exchanges, there are also plans for direct air routes and the elimination of entry visas.
Bishkek () – After ten years without meeting – due to old and recent grudges that have never been fully overcome – the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister, Zheenbek Kulubaev, met his Mongolian counterpart, Batsetseg Batmonkh, to officially discuss joint projects between the two countries where the Turco-Mongolian souls of Central Asia come together, according to the Middle Asian News agency.
The negotiations took place in an extremely friendly and fruitful atmosphere. The parties assessed the current conditions of the relations between Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan seeking ways to revive collaboration at the national and regional levels. Batsetseg stressed that, although with ups and downs, relations have evolved very positively in the last 30 years, after the end of the USSR, between two landlocked countries, surrounded by different peoples and separated by the Chinese Xinjiang Uyghur corridor.
Kulubaev thanked the warm welcome and stated that he was happy to finally be able to make this visit to a “fraternal town” of the Kyrgyz. The Mongols have put on the table the long-term prospects of the Ulan Bator government policy, “Vision-2050” and the “New Renaissance Policy”, in which cooperation with Bishkek in infrastructure, transport , logistics, agriculture and light industry. Both parties agreed on the need to optimize the exploitation of natural resources.
Mongolia needs to diversify its foreign trade and there was talk about the supply of export products, such as meat, its derivatives and leather. These items will be shipped to Kyrgyzstan from Mongolia for distribution throughout the Central Asian region. The Kyrgyz will mainly supply the Mongols with fruits and vegetables. All this will be carried out with the vigilance of political institutions and the necessary veterinary and prophylactic control measures.
The activity of the Kyrgyz-Mongolian intergovernmental commission for trade, economy, science, technology and culture will be particularly strengthened. In March 2022, an exchange of projects and protocols had already taken place, which will now be implemented in a positive and effective way, without too many bureaucratic complications. Also present in the Kyrgyz delegation was the Minister of Agriculture Askarbek Dzhanybekov, who pointed out the great possibilities that open up in the collaboration with Mongolia in the agricultural sector, with many benefits for both parties.
The Ulan Bator government has also declared the period 2023-2025 as “Visit Mongolia Years”, with the aim of developing tourism in such a fascinating and uncontaminated, yet little-known country. In this sense, joint programs of direct air routes and suppression of entry visas will be launched to favor the most important exchanges, which are those of individuals and families.
Another relevant initiative for both countries is the Mongolian proposal for “One Billion Trees”, which will now be associated with the “Kyrgyz-Mongolian Friendship Forest”, with a large common reforestation near the city of Erdenet. Kyrgyzstan is committed to supplying Mongolia with seeds and seedlings of fruit trees and berry bushes, useful for the defense of the environment and the fight against climate change.
Diplomatic activity and the joint preparation of young diplomats and civil servants will also be intensified, placing the mastery of reciprocal languages among the priorities.
