AKIPRESS.COM - The United States became Mongolia's 5th strategic partner, The Diplomat said with reference to the National Security Council Secretary of Mongolia Gansukh Amarjargal.

“The meeting between the two leaders, Battulga Khaltmaa and Donald J. Trump has been in the spirit of the times. The 32 years of diplomatic relations and the newly established strategic partnership between two governments are expected to grow in a very positive direction,” he said.

Mongolian President Battulga Khaltmaa paid state visit to the United States last week. Thus, on July 31, after the meeting between Battulga and U.S. President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. Department of State released the Declaration on the Strategic Partnership Between the United States and Mongolia. This declaration indicates Mongolia’s successful utilization of the third-neighbor policy and makes the United States the fifth country to ink a strategic partnership with Mongolia.

The Declaration on the Strategic Partnership between the United States and Mongolia is built on mutual understanding and a shared pursuit of global and regional peace and security, protecting human rights, freedom of speech, and national independence and territorial integrity. The declaration acknowledges that U.S.-Mongolia ties “have grown stronger and closer based on common strategic interests, shared democratic values, good governance, principles of sovereignty, and respect for human rights” and “that the United States of America and Mongolia have a mutual interest in cooperating more closely to ensure peace, security, and stability in the region.”

Two aspects of the declaration are critical in answering how the United States and Mongolia will boost economic cooperation through trade, investment, and development. First, the declaration calls for the utilization of the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to help solve critical development challenges in Mongolia. In addition, the strategic partnership ultimately aims to strengthen Mongolia’s economic security by increasing the flow of foreign direct investment, supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), involving state-owned enterprises, and further exploring emerging new markets such as technology, science, and space exploration.

Moreover, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Strategy report included Mongolia as one of the “democracies in Indo-Pacific,” that are “reliable, capable, and natural partners of the United States.” The report but also emphasized the burgeoning security relationship based on Mongolia’s unswerving contribution to U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan, and UN peacekeeping missions in Africa. Mongolia was mentioned 17 times in the report, compared to 15 for New Zealand, 18 for Singapore 18, and 31 for Taiwan. The state visit of the Mongolian delegation has reinforced Mongolia’s status in the Indo-Pacific Strategy.