Vietnam and Mongolia issue Joint Statement on establishing Comprehensive Partnership

During his state visit to Mongolia, on September 30, in the capital Ulaanbaatar, General Secretary and President To Lam held a private meeting followed by official talks with President Khurelsukh.

In his remarks, President Khurelsukh warmly welcomed General Secretary and President To Lam and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, noting that this visit marks a significant milestone in strengthening the ties between Vietnam and Mongolia. He praised Vietnam's flexible and balanced approach to foreign policy and expressed his admiration for the country and its people, which deepened after his visit to Vietnam in November 2023. He also congratulated Vietnam on its recent achievements, particularly in socio-economic development and improvements to the quality of life for its people. President Khurelsukh emphasized Mongolia's strong commitment to its relationship with Vietnam, recognizing Vietnam as one of Mongolia's most important partners in the region.

On this occasion, President Khurelsukh expressed his gratitude for Vietnam's support in providing $500,000 in aid to help Mongolia recover from recent natural disasters. He further noted that the Vietnam - Mongolia Intergovernmental Committee would meet in Hanoi in November 2024 to discuss measures for implementing the newly established Comprehensive Partnership.

General Secretary and President To Lam thanked President Khurelsukh, as well as the state and people of Mongolia, for their warm and respectful reception. He extended his best wishes to Mongolia for the successful implementation of the "New Recovery Policy" and its strategic goals under the "Vision 2050" plan, which he believes will enhance Mongolia's international standing and influence.

In an atmosphere of trust, sincerity, and openness, the two leaders expressed their joy and satisfaction with the strong, substantive, and effective development of the traditional friendship between the two countries in recent years.

The leaders held in-depth discussions and reached important mutual understandings on major directions and specific measures to implement the agreements set by their high-level counterparts. They identified defense and security cooperation as a key pillar, contributing to elevating the bilateral relationship to a level befitting the new partnership framework, in line with regional and global dynamics. Additionally, they agreed to increase exchanges, contacts, and high-level delegations across various platforms, adopting flexible and diverse formats. Both sides pledged to effectively implement existing cooperation and dialogue mechanisms and further promote collaboration in diplomacy, defense, security, and justice. They also committed to enhancing coordination in combating transnational crime and participating in United Nations peacekeeping efforts. A symbolic point of mutual interest, they reaffirmed support for the development of cavalry - an enduring symbol of the Vietnam - Mongolia relationship.

The two leaders agreed to foster substantial and effective economic cooperation that meets the needs of both sides. They pledged to maintain bilateral economic cooperation mechanisms, including the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of strengthening trade promotion efforts and connecting businesses from both countries, thereby contributing to increasing bilateral trade turnover between Vietnam and Mongolia. Both sides agreed to provide support for information exchange, mechanisms, and policies to promote the import and export of goods and services, facilitating market access for the strengths of each country. They also committed to supporting policies and encouraging businesses from both sides to invest in key sectors, including economic and industrial zones.

The senior leaders of both nations also agreed to deepen cooperation in research and development in areas such as high-tech science, digital technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, information and communication technology, climate change response, mineral exploitation, and animal husbandry. They committed to working together to find solutions to overcome challenges in logistics and transportation and to share experiences in effectively implementing signed cooperation agreements in road, rail, maritime, and aviation transport.

Both sides agreed to further promote the establishment of mechanisms for the exchange of experts, lecturers, and students between the two countries. They also emphasized the importance of sharing experiences on educational policies and mechanisms, including the application of digital technology in education. Additionally, they committed to strengthening the implementation of exchange programs to promote each country’s culture and history, fostering the exchange of cultural and artistic delegations. Both nations highlighted the need to promote tourism by leveraging each country’s unique potential and strengthening local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. Furthermore, the two leaders pledged to closely cooperate in protecting the rights of their citizens living, studying, and working in the other country, ensuring their well-being and security.

During the talks, the two leaders also discussed global and regional issues. They highly appreciated Vietnam's "bamboo diplomacy" - a flexible and resilient foreign policy, and agreed to continue strengthening close cooperation and regularly exchanging views on regional security and political matters, as well as international issues of mutual concern. They emphasized the importance of supporting each other in regional and international forums such as the United Nations, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), World Trade Organization (WTO), and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Both sides affirmed the significance of maintaining peace, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. They also stressed the need to maintain a peaceful, stable environment, uphold legal order, and resolve maritime disputes through peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

At the conclusion of the talks, General Secretary and President To Lam and the President of Mongolia issued a Vietnam-Mongolia Joint Statement on establishing a Comprehensive Partnership. This partnership is aimed at guiding the two countries toward deeper, more substantive, effective, and comprehensive cooperation across all fields, built on a foundation of mutual trust.