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November 30 marked the fiftieth anniversary of Mongolia and Canada establishing diplomatic relations. In recognition of this milestone, Ottawa and Ulaanbaatar upgraded their bilateral ties to a complete partnership throughout Mongolian Overseas Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh’s official go to to Ottawa. The improve, in essence, goals to reinvigorate financial actions between authorities companies and personal sectors.
Battsetseg’s go to to Canada from November 20 to 22 was the primary by a Mongolian international minister in 25 years. She used the go to not solely to underscore the necessity to enhance the Canada-Mongolia financial partnerships, but additionally to make clear the success tales of Canadian companies in Mongolia and vice versa.
In a joint assertion, the 2 governments agreed to additional discover regional and multilateral engagements in addition to increasing business relationships.
Mongolia and Canada established official diplomatic relations in 1973. Nevertheless, the Canadian authorities acknowledged Mongolia and supported the nation’s impartial international coverage properly earlier than that. Canada supported Mongolia’s membership to the United Nations again in 1961 – over a decade earlier than the 2 established an official diplomatic relationship.
Throughout an interview, former Mongolian Ambassador to Canada Ariunbold Yadmaa emphasised that Canada’s curiosity in Mongolia predates the onset of official political engagement. Ariunbold acknowledged that the Canadian archival paperwork indicated communication with america concerning Mongolia. Therefore, from Ulaanbaatar’s international coverage viewpoint, Canada has lengthy been considered as an essential associate and a supporter of Mongolia’s democratization and its international coverage.
Whereas official diplomatic engagement was established in 1973, progress was gradual. For instance, the 2 international locations didn’t have embassies till the 2000s.
A breakthrough got here with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s go to to Mongolia in 1985. Mongolian diplomat Khaliun Panidjunai mentioned the go to in an interview with Montsame, the Mongolian nationwide information company:
By 1985, relations between our two international locations have been already of their twelfth 12 months, however no important progress had been made…
After Pierre Trudeau’s go to to our nation, the relations between the 2 international locations gained new impetus. Cooperation has been intensified, particularly within the mining sector. And never lengthy after that, our social system shifted into democracy. This has allowed us Mongolians to determine for ourselves how and with whom to develop relations and cooperation. Undoubtedly, all these components have contributed to the growth of bilateral relations.
Many Western international locations sought to advance bilateral relations with Mongolia after its democratic revolution in 1991, and Canada was no exception. The Mongolian Embassy in Ottawa opened in 2001. Two years later, the primary Mongolia-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group was established. The Friendship Group goals to strengthen Mongolia’s parliamentary governance whereas offering help to enhance human rights and civil society organizations. In Could 2023, the Friendship Group was renewed and will likely be headed by Canadian Senator Michèle Audette.
In 2004, then-President of Mongolia Bagabandi Natsag paid an official state go to to Ottawa, which paved the best way for future diplomatic and financial engagements. Throughout this journey, Mongolia and Canada agreed to advance their bilateral ties to a partnership stage. Canada opened its embassy in Ulaanbaatar in 2008.
Furthermore, Canadian researchers and students have proven nice curiosity in Mongolia’s tradition, custom, and lifestyle. The Canada-Mongolia Society was established in 1974. The College of Saskatchewan additionally serves as a scholastic and cultural hub that has led to much-recognized analysis on agriculture, the setting, and paleontology.
In October, the Munk Faculty of World Affairs and Public Coverage on the College of Toronto and the Embassy of Mongolia in Ottawa co-organized the a convention providing “World Views in Honor of the fiftieth Anniversary of Mongolia-Canada Diplomatic Relations.” In recognition of the sturdy Canada-Mongolia cultural ties, professors equivalent to Michael Gervers and Julian Dierkes obtained honorary medals for his or her contribution to Mongolian research.
Throughout their 50 years of diplomatic relations, Mongolia and Canada have established financial ties. Between 1990-2010, Canada was Mongolia’s second-largest investor. In accordance to the federal government of Canada, since 1997, Canada has offered greater than CA$7.8 million to roughly 490 tasks in Mongolia by way of the Canada Fund for Native Initiatives.
That stated, commerce and enterprise actions have been intermittent.
For Canada – a rustic with huge mining expertise – Mongolia’s ample pure assets have been of nice curiosity, particularly in the course of the early Nineties. To Mongolia, with a newly liberalized market-based economic system, the move of international direct funding and enterprise curiosity in all sectors, together with mining, was certainly a major precedence. Whereas Canadian mining giants have proven curiosity in Mongolia’s mining trade, many firms (equivalent to Gulf Canada) withdrew as quickly as they entered the market.
Regardless of Ulaanbaatar-Ottawa’s sturdy diplomatic and cultural ties, financial actions, particularly commerce and funding, have been stagnant for the final 5 years. In response to Zaki Munshi, the Asia program director of Canada’s Commerce Facilitation Workplace, “imports into Canada from Mongolia totaled CA$2.67 million in 2022 and decreased at a fee 6.1 p.c between 2018-2022.”
Though COVID-19 performed some function within the lower in commerce, the necessity for acceleration of bilateral financial actions is obvious. Battsetseg’s official go to to Ottawa thus embodied a robust need to improve the Canada-Mongolia enterprise setting.
On November 21, the Canada-Mongolia Enterprise Assembly convened in Ottawa.
The president and CEO of Erdene Useful resource Growth, Peter Akerley, underscored Mongolia’s government-supported mining improvement, which is essential in joint mega tasks. A Canadian-based mining firm, Erdene Useful resource Growth invests in gold and molybdenum. When requested about his views on Mongolia’s different mining tasks, such because the current uranium take care of France, Akerley stated he believes that the undertaking could be a profitable one.
Whereas Mongolia’s economic system is closely depending on exploiting its pure assets, there are non-mining companies. One Canadian enterprise particularly has captured the hearts and minds of contemporary individuals looking for nomadic life.
Groovy Yurts, in enterprise for 20 years, is likely one of the few companies to promote Mongolia’s tradition in a cross-cultural vogue. For the reason that firm began, round 1,100 Mongolian yurts, constructed with sustainable and environmentally pleasant supplies, have been bought worldwide.
The founder and CEO of Groovy Yurts, Yves Ballennegger, was awarded and appointed Canada’s Cultural Envoy to Mongolia for presenting Mongolia’s custom and tradition by way of a contemporary lens and sustainable dwelling. He advised me that “Mongolia’s tradition is its largest asset, and there may be a lot individuals can do.”
Different small companies, equivalent to Yavar Mongolian Idea, have been current on the Canada-Mongolia Enterprise Assembly as properly.
In her closing comment, the Mongolian ambassador to Canada, Sarantogos Erdenetsogt, highlighted the significance of Canada-Mongolia diplomatic relations and emphasised the importance of the follow-through from each side.
Battsetseg’s official go to to Ottawa and the institution of the Canada-Mongolia complete partnership exhibits political will for the 2 international locations to reinvigorate bilateral ties.
One of many notable parts of the Justin Trudeau administration is Canada’s feminist international coverage, which aligns with considered one of Mongolia’s international coverage agendas. Mongolia hosted its first Feminine Overseas Ministers Assembly in July. Of their protection relationship, Canada and Mongolia have been working towards increasing cooperation within the space of ladies, peace, and safety. Canadian Overseas Minister Melanie Joly invited Mongolia to take part within the World’s Girls Discussion board in 2024.
Canada’s former ambassador to Mongolia, Catherine Ivkoff, advised The Diplomat that she hopes that the work she had performed throughout her appointment as ambassador will assist to reinvigorate Canada-Mongolia relations, particularly now with the upgrading of bilateral ties to a complete partnership.
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