Ulaanbaatar, June 21, 2024 /MONTSAME/. Mongolia and the Republic of Turkiye established diplomatic relations on June 24, 1969. Commemorating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, an academic conference themed “Current Relations of Mongolia-Turkiye and Future Trends” was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, on June 20, 2024.

Organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, the Institute of International Studies under the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, the Mongolian Association of Turkish Alumni, and the Izmir Katip Çelebi University of Turkiye, the Conference held discussions on achievements made over the 55 years of diplomatic relations, particularly the political and economic cooperation of the two countries, as well as in the sectors of education, history, and culture. 

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Ankhbayar Nyamdorj opened the Conference, noting its significance in evaluating the achievements of the bilateral relations between Mongolia and Turkiye, as well as determining the future trends. State Secretary Ankhbayar underscored that current relations and cooperation have been expanding in essential social and economic sectors and that Mongolia strives to elevate relations and hold high-level visits in the near future. 

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkiye to Mongolia Zafer Ateş highlighted that political relations between Mongolia and Turkiye have intensified since 1990, which led to reciprocal high-level visits between the two countries.

The first State Visits were made by President of Turkiye Süleyman Demirel in 1995, and President of Mongolia Bagabandi Natsag in 1998. The State Visits laid the foundation for establishing a Comprehensive Partnership, which enabled intensified relations and cooperation in all sectors. 

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Ankhbayar Nyamdorj stressed that Mongolia and Turkiye set the goal to increase the trade turnover between the two countries to USD 100 million in 2013, which was achieved in 2022, reaching a total of USD 110 million.

Interparliamentary relations between Mongolia and Turkiye accelerated since 2000, with Members of the State Great Khural of Mongolia and the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkiye holding reciprocal visits. 

Regarding cooperation in the education sector, Mongolian students are studying in Turkiye with the Turkish Government Scholarships since 1992. At that time, the annual scholarships were 30, which increased to 50 in 2005 during the Turkish Prime Minister’s visit to Mongolia. Currently, talks are being held to increase the scholarships to 100.

“Since 2012, direct flights between Mongolia and Turkiye have been carried out by the Turkish civil aviation company Turkish Airlines, which leads to expansion of economic and business cooperation, tourism and people-to-people ties, and pushed the cooperation in infrastructure sector between the two countries,” said the “Turkish Airlines” representative in Mongolia, B. Sarnai.

“In 2014, 30-day visa-free travel between Mongolia and Turkiye was approved, encouraging travelers between the two countries while also developing tourism,” said the Senior Researcher at the Institute of International Studies under the Academy of Sciences of Mongolia, Kh. Selenge.

Concluding the current cooperation and relations between the two countries in all sectors, the two parties noted the full possibility of elevating the Comprehensive Partnership to a Strategic Partnership.