EU Ambassador to Mongolia talks about bilateral relations and cooperation

During a reception to commemorate Europe Day in Ulaanbaatar, which took place for the first time in Mongolia, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to China and Mongolia Hans Dietmar Schweisgut was interviewed by Mongolian journalists to discuss relations and cooperation between Mongolian and the EU.

In his interviews, Ambassador Schweisgut emphasized that the relationship between Mongolia and the EU has been become much stronger in recent years. He noted that the two parties have the same values, including open democracy, the rule of law, and commitments to human rights, and that they are working closely in many areas, such as political cooperation, peacekeeping, and international development.

He noted that both sides want to strengthen their economic relationship through the EU-Mongolia Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation, and have stepped up cooperation in the area of financing and development cooperation.

The Ambassador stated that Mongolia cannot force the EU’s companies to invest in Mongolia, that European companies prefer to invest in places with good investment conditions.

He noted that the EU and the Government of Mongolia need to work together to create more opportunities and create conditions that could help Mongolia export products more competitively and encourage investors to collaborate, and to improve trade and investment relations by enhancing the legal and regulatory environment for foreign investors and entrepreneurs.

He underlined that the EU wants to address medium and long-term prospects in Mongolia, and focus on developing two major areas, including job creation and public financial management, to col- laborate with Mongolia in implementing projects for its long-term prospects.

Ambassador Schweisgut emphasized that the main challenge facing Mongolia is the great distance between the EU and Mongolia, which makes it difficult to step up trade, economic, and investment cooperation, despite the two parties having a great relationship.

He noted that both sides need to overcome obstacles, but that there are a lot of opportunities to develop cooperation by taking advantage of the similarities of the principles and shared visions of the EU and Mongolia.