Mongolia, U.S. hold annual bilateral consultations

AKIPRESS.COM - U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs David R. Stilwell and Mongolia State Secretary Ankhbayar led the 2020 Annual Bilateral Consultation on September 14, the U.S. Department of State said.
"This meeting represents the first Annual Bilateral Consultation since the announcement of the Strategic Partnership between the United States and Mongolia in July. This virtual event underscores the strength of our cooperation and shared values and is an opportunity to reaffirm concrete steps in our bilateral relationship," the U.S. Department of State said.
Over the course of this year, the countries have increased cooperation in multi-lateral fora, including on UN leadership elections. In the security and military sphere relationship remains active, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The United States and Mongolia are united in desire to boost trade and investment ties and have agreed to an additional upcoming dialogue to solidify the economic partnership, said the report.
"The United States and Mongolia share a deep commitment to the democratic values enshrined in our respective constitutions, such as human rights, religious freedom, and rule of law. Our bilateral law enforcement cooperation continues to grow, namely on border security and transnational crime.  The United States is proud to have successfully trained more than 1,000 Mongolian law enforcement and security personnel in areas such as investigative techniques, contraband interdiction, and anti-money laundering.  We have maintained robust people-to-people engagement through a range of in-person and virtual exchange programs," the report concluded.