‘Warrior spirit’ and sheep diplomacy: how Mongolia is sprinting ahead in vaccine race
Nearly 90 per cent of Mongolia’s adult population has had their first vaccine, with the bulk of jabs secured from China and Russia
25 May 2021 • 8:00am
A nomadic herders lead a caravan of Bactrian camels over the sand dunes of the Gobi desert in south west Mongolia
Credit: Timothy Allen/Getty Images Contributor
Mongolia is a small player on the international stage, best known for its expansive, rugged landscapes and nomadic culture.
But amid a frantic global scramble for vaccines, the sparsely populated nation has become the latest – and perhaps most surprising – member of an elusive club: those with plenty of shots.
Mongolian President Takes Emergency Action to Protect Sovereignty and Democracy
Corrupt anti-democratic forces launched stealth attack on free and fair June presidential election
April 22, 2021 15:07 ET | Source: President of Mongolia President of Mongolia Ulaanbaatar, MONGOLIA
Ulaanbaatar, April 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Mongolian President Battulga Khaltmaa issued an emergency directive to disband the Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), in order to safeguard the sovereignty and democracy of the country. The action came after the MPP gave itself unconstitutional authority to change election rules for the June 9 presidential election that would exclude President Battulga from the ballot.
In his announcement, President Battulga said the
2021-05-13 16:02:52
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Phengsavanh Keopraseuth presented his letter of credence to President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga.
After the official ceremony, the dignitaries sat down for a meeting. President Battulga congratulated Ambassador Phengsavanh Keopraseuth on his appointment as the head of diplomatic mission and expressed confidence in the Ambassador’s ability and readiness to celebrate the 60th diplomatic anniversary in a pragmatic manner.
The President applauded the success of the railroad construction project connecting Vientiane and Kunming cities. Provided that Mongolia and Laos are both landlocked countries with agriculture-based economies and small population, the connecting infrastructure can open new doors for bilateral cooperation, President Battulga added.
2021-05-13 17:29:47
Ulaanbaatar/MONTSAME/. Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey Zafer Ates presented today his letter
of credence to President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga.
President Battulga expressed his appreciation for the Ambassador’s
appointment to Mongolia as Zafer Ates is an experienced diplomat. The
dignitaries exchanged views on the possibilities to enhance bilateral
cooperation in areas of history, heritage, tourism and agriculture.
In turn, the Ambassador expressed his happiness with his new
post as a head of diplomatic mission to Mongolia, with whom Turkey has a
long-standing historical friendship. He also pledged his aspiration to put his
US Senators Say Mongolia’s Democracy Is Under Threat
U.S. senators have expressed concern about the current political situation in Mongolia, writing to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken last week, urging the State Department to make its voice heard.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Budget Allocation Committee, wrote in the letter: “Recent political developments may portend for the future of democracy in the country. As you know, Mongolia has been a remarkable democratic success story, particularly considering how it is precariously situated between two authoritarian neighbors, the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, the former of which has expressed expansionist designs toward Mongolia in the past and may still harbor them.”