D.Davaa appointed as Mongolian ambassador to Russia

On November 30, Lieutenant General D.Davaa was appointed as the Mongolian Ambassador to Russia via a Presidential decree. The same decree relieved him from his position as the president’s advisor for defense and security, which he was appointed to in November, 2018.

A military man, D.Davaa was educated in the former Soviet Union, and had previously served as the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces in 2015. He was one of the six overseas appointments nominated by President Kh.Battulga and approved by Parliament in early November.

During the parliamentary approval session, MP A.Sukhbat, while acknowledging the lieutenant general’s decorated military career, questioned D.Davaa’s expertise in diplomatic relations, citing that he is the only one with relatively weak experience in the diplomatic field compared to the other five nominees. The Parliament member also noted the importance of Russia and China to Mongolia.

In a brief response, D.Davaa assured A.Sukhbat of his extensive foreign relations experience in the form of military partnerships with over 30 countries, including Russia. Minister of Foreign Relations D.Tsogtbaatar also defended the nominee, saying that D.Davaa has a long and history of successfully working together with Russian officials, and noted that military cooperation is the most “active” part of Mongolia’s foreign relations.