• Prime Minister of Mongolia met and held a press conference with Vice-President Harris today as part of his first official visit to the United States
• Direct flights between the two countries planned to commence in 2024
• Mongolia and the U.S. signing agreements this week to strengthen their bilateral relationship  

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, Aug. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A major strengthening of the strategic partnership between Mongolia and the United States is being agreed this week as part of the Prime Minister of Mongolia's first official visit to the country.

In a major boost to tourism, trade and business investment between the United States and Mongolia, Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene has announced that direct flights between the two countries are planned to commence in 2024.

In a press conference with Vice-President Harris at the White House today, the Prime Minister hailed the United States's support for Mongolia's thirty-year-old democracy, and highlighted areas such as the 'green economy' and the creative industries as providing the basis for enhanced co-operation in the years ahead.

The United States is a critical 'third neighbour' partner for Mongolia, with this week's visit representing a major milestone in Mongolia's efforts to strengthen its diplomatic and economic ties outside of its immediate neighbourhood. During this week's visit:

• A Joint Statement on the Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership, supporting the development of the two countries' relationship, will be issued
• An Air Transport Agreement, paving the way for the introduction of direct flights, will be signed
• Economic ties will be strengthened through the signing of a new Economic Cooperation Roadmap for the Strategic Third Neighbour Partnership

The Prime Minister of Mongolia, L. Oyun-Erdene, said:

"I'm pleased to be here on my first official visit to the US as Prime Minister."

"For us, the United States is not only our strategic third neighbor but also the guiding Polar Star on our democratic journey."

"I hope that history will record my visit this week as the start of a new chapter in our friendship and strategic partnership."

Other highlights of this week's visit include:

• The Prime Minister will meet with the U.S. Secretaries of State, Defence, Commerce and Transportation, as well as the Administrator of the US Agency for International Development
• The Prime Minister will meet with Google and sign a landmark agreement to promote education and digital transformation in Mongolia
• The Prime Minister will meet with the Deputy Administrator of NASA and the Executive Secretary of the National Space Council to discuss how Mongolia and the United States can enhance co-operation in the space sector

Other areas that the Prime Minister discussed with Vice-President Harris today include recent legislation passed in Mongolia to make English the first foreign language in secondary education, and the many steps the Government of Mongolia has taken to improve the country's legal environment for investment and private sector partnerships, including constitutional reforms, digital transformation, and undertaking the fight against corruption.