Russia – Mongolia: Focus on International, Regional Agendas in Putin – Khurelsukh Summit

On his way to Vladivostok in the Far East, where the Russian president will attend the Ninth Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), Vladimir Putin arrived in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, where on Tuesday, September 3, he will meet with his counterpart Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh to discuss both regional and international agendas. Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov said the two leaders will continue talks that began last July 4 during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

“It has become a tradition for Putin,” Ushakov said, “to visit Mongolia every 5 years, on the anniversary of the joint victory of the Soviet and Mongolian armed forces at Khalkhin Gol as part of the Soviet-Japanese war of 1932-1939.” And this time Putin will take part in the celebrations dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Victory.

Before visiting Mongolia, a country that in Soviet times was considered by many to be an “informal republic of the USSR,” Putin gave an interview to the Mongolian newspaper Onoodor, in which the Russian president stated that “the development of strategic partnership with Mongolia remains one of the priorities of Russia’s foreign policy in Greater Eurasia.”

“I am confident,” Putin said, “that multilateral cooperation between Russia and Mongolia will become more and more significant and will serve for the benefit of our peoples.” According to Putin, “the partnership between Moscow and Ulaanbaatar in all key areas is developing at a good pace.” In addition to traditional areas of cooperation, from trade to Russian aid to industrialization of this Asian country, the two sides are working on “new promising projects,” including the construction of a new Russia-Mongolia-China gas pipeline. Work is underway to modernize the Russia-Mongolia railroad, which in the future will become an integral part of intercontinental transport corridors between China, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East, and Europe.

According to Putin, cooperation with Russia has made it possible to “significantly” advance the preparation of a temporary agreement on a free trade zone between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Mongolia. “Trilateral cooperation between Russia, Mongolia, and China will keep developing, provided that it is beneficial to all three countries,” the Russian president emphasized in conclusion.

In turn, Counselor Ushakov said that Russia and Mongolia “maintain an active political dialog at the highest level.” As for bilateral trade, the turnover exceeded $1.4 billion in January-July 2024. “Russia has long been Mongolia’s second largest trading partner after China. In 2023, the volume of Russian-Mongolian trade amounted to $2.2 billion,” said Ushakov, according to whom “in the current geopolitical context, Russia attaches special importance to the development of relations with Mongolia.”