Uzbekistan-Mongolia: New prospects for strengthening centuries-old ties

President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh will pay a state visit to Uzbekistan on 23-26 June at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Mongolia recognised the independence of Uzbekistan on 19 December 1991. Diplomatic ties between our countries were established on 25 January 1992.

Presidents of Mongolia, an observer country, visited Uzbekistan to participate in the Tashkent and Samarkand summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2010, 2016 and 2022, respectively.

Interconnections between peoples, according to historians, go back to ancient times. In particular, mutual exchanges developed during the Turkic Khaganate period (552-603) and in the following years.

At the present stage, relations between the two States are consistently developing on the basis of the principles of mutual respect and consideration of each other's interests.

The active foreign policy of New Uzbekistan, aimed at strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries and promoting the issue of interregional interconnectivity, has given dynamism to the development of a multifaceted dialogue between the two states. The current Uzbek-Mongolian summit is the third in the last three years. The heads of state held fruitful talks in 2022 in Samarkand and in 2023 in the city of Dubai.

Since 2020, cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries has intensified. Groups on inter-parliamentary cooperation have been set up in the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan and the Great State Khural of Mongolia.

In March 2023, Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg paid his first visit to Uzbekistan. During that visit, fruitful meetings were held with members of the Government of our country. In the same year, the Government of Mongolia decided to open an Embassy in Tashkent in 2024.

The mechanism of cooperation between the foreign ministries of the two States is functioning effectively. Inter-ministerial political consultations are held regularly, the seventh round of which was held on 7 May this year in Ulaanbaatar.

Mongolia views Uzbekistan as a promising economic partner. In March 2023, an agreement was signed to establish a Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

Both sides recognise that trade and economic cooperation currently does not meet the existing potential of the two countries and intend to consistently increase the volume of trade turnover and business cooperation. Uzbekistan currently exports agricultural products, soft drinks and tobacco products, mechanical equipment and other goods and services to Mongolia. In turn, the nomenclature of imports from Mongolia includes meat, plastics, plastic products and chemicals.

The issues of intensifying economic ties were discussed in May this year in Ulaanbaatar. At a “round table” with the participation of business circles of the two countries, the prospects and directions of economic cooperation were discussed.

Positive examples of investment cooperation include investments by the Mongolian holding “Tavan Bogd” in opening an ultramodern diagnostics center in Tashkent using advanced equipment from the Japanese “Fuji Film” Corporation based on artificial intelligence, and investments by the “Mongol Basalt” enterprise in developing basalt deposits in the Jizzak region with its subsequent processing into finished products.

Joint ventures operating in Uzbekistan with Mongolian partners are mainly specialized in services and trade.

Cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Uzbekistan and Mongolia is also developing on the basis of warm and friendly relations and is characterized by high mutual interest due to deep historical ties and the traditional openness and friendliness of the two peoples.

According to linguists, the Turkic and Mongolian languages are related, belong to the common Altaic language family and share a common language ancestor.

Even the founder of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan, recognised the fearlessness and bravery of the great son of the Uzbek people, Jalaliddin Manguberdi, for fighting against a more powerful army with a small army. In a miniature in the book of the XVI century historian Masud ibn Kohistani "History of Abulkhairkhani" Jalaliddin Manguberdi is depicted sailing to the right bank of the Sindi River and going into the desert together with 4 thousand warriors. Here are the famous words of Genghis Khan to his sons: "This is how a true son of a father should be!"

For thousands of years Turkic and Mongolian peoples have coexisted, creating a single ethno-cultural environment. Their worldview, religious views and way of life are similar. Despite the fact that centuries have passed, the cultural similarity and closeness remain. The Turkic languages, especially Uzbek, contain indigenous Mongolian political and military terms such as "Zhavangor", "Barongor", "Tolgama", "Daruga", "Navkar", "Noyon", "Koragon", "Karshi", "Aimak" and others.

There are still settlements with Mongolian names in Uzbekistan.

The study and preservation of this historical and cultural heritage are important areas of cultural and humanitarian interaction.

In addition, Mongolian creative groups regularly participate in international music and folklore festivals in Uzbekistan, friendship societies of the two countries actively interact, and the exchange of cultural and scientific delegations is gaining new momentum.

In short, both Uzbekistan and Mongolia, states with ancient and rich history and culture, dynamic modern development and commitment to expanding international cooperation to achieve sustainable development in the region. In this context, the forthcoming state visit of the head of Mongolia to Uzbekistan will certainly give a new breath to the development of bilateral cooperation, strengthen the foundations and open up new prospects for taking the interaction to a higher level.