India, Mongolia review bilateral ties; agree to strengthen strategic partnership

India and Mongolia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their Strategic Partnership, with senior officials from both nations conducting a comprehensive review of bilateral ties, discussing cooperation in key sectors, and planning high-level engagements to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar held a consultative meeting with Munkhtushig Lkhanaajav, State Secretary of Mongolia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to review the bilateral relationship between India and Mongolia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

On March 19, both sides discussed ways to further strengthen the India-Mongolia Strategic Partnership and maintain high-level engagements. They assessed cooperation in various sectors, including development partnerships, education, IT, energy, connectivity, culture, capacity building, mining, defence, and security.

Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X, “Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumder held a Consultative Meeting with Mr. Munkhtushig Lkhanaajav, State Secretary, MoFA of Mongolia. Both sides carried out a comprehensive review of the bilateral relationship, agreed to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges & organize a series of commemorative activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.”

Both countries agreed to conduct a series of commemorative activities to mark 70 years of diplomatic relations. They also decided to formally upgrade the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) to the Secretary level, the MEA said in a statement.

During the meeting, they also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

India and Mongolia have interacted throughout history for 2,000 years. Following the emergence of Mongolia as a modern nation-state in the 20th century, the two countries have continued to build relations based on shared historical and cultural legacy. On May 17, 2015, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two countries declared a strategic partnership, as per the MEA.

Diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia were established on December 24, 1955. India was the first country outside the Socialist bloc to establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia. India supported Mongolia in having UN and NAM memberships. 2015 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia.