The US-Asia Institute hosted a conversation with Ambassador Otgonbayar Yondon, Ambassador of Mongolia to the United States, on Tuesday, May 25 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT. This conversation titled, “The Strategic Importance of Mongolia: The Upcoming Election and Future of Engagement”, was open exclusively to Congressional staff and administration officials and represented an important engagement between policy makers and Mongolian leadership right before Mongolia’s Presidential election on June 9.

The US and Mongolia have strong ties and this relationship plays a key role in US policy in Asia. This conversation aimed to strengthen the US-Mongolia relationship in the 117th Congress and dive deeper into the complexities, controversies, and huge implications of Mongolia’s 2021 Presidential Election.

In this conversation Ambassador Otgonbayar Yondon, joined the US-Asia Institute for a discussion about Mongolia’s upcoming Presidential election on June 9th and the strategic importance of the US-Mongolia relationship. The Ambassador focused on the history of democratic elections in Mongolia, recent constitutional developments regarding power sharing among the various branches of Mongolia’s government, and the implications of this election on Mongolia’s domestic and foreign policy. After the Ambassador gave his initial remarks, Moderator Dr. Alicia Campi guided a roundtable discussion with the Ambassador on topics including the political controversies leading up to Mongolia’s Presidential election, Mongolia’s relationship with China and Russia, Mongolia’s third-neighbor policy, the recently introduced Third Neighbor Trade Act, and Mongolian diaspora.

Speakers:

Alicia Campi, PhD, Vice President and President Emeritus, The Mongolia Society

Ambassador Otgonbayar Yondon, Ambassador of Mongolia to the United States, Embassy of Mongolia in Washington D.C.