Mongolian forum in Edinburgh; Scotland welcomes engagement with Mongolia
On 11 April 2024 His Excellency Ambassador B. Enkhsukh and three of his Embassy staff travelled to Scotland to address an event for invited guests on the subject of ‘Today’s Mongolia and UK-Mongolian Relations’, with an emphasis on connections with Scotland.
This event was jointly organised by Namsrai Henderson, an Edinburgh-based consultancy on North-east Asian affairs, and the Asia Scotland Institute (ASI), a forum for the promotion and exchange of knowledge and know-how about Asia. The event continued ASI’s current series of high-level briefings by Asian Heads of Mission to the UK, who recently included the Ambassadors of Thailand and the Philippines. It also followed up initiatives linked to the 60th anniversary of Mongolia-UK relations in 2023. Attendees included business leaders, authors, academics, journalists, officials and others involved in public culture and the arts.
The presentations took place in the Cabinet Room of Queen Elizabeth House, the flagship building of the UK Government’s Scotland Office north of the Border.
Matthew Forbes OBE, the senior Scotland Office official based here, welcomed attendees to his office. Roddy Gow OBE, founder and Director of ASI, opened the proceedings.
In introductory comments, Ambassador Enkhsukh emphasised that despite distance and dissimilarities of size, population and geography, it was evident that Scotland and Mongolia shared many practical similarities that were helpful for strengthening bilateral ties.
He singled out our shared traditions of open friendliness, warmth and hospitality, as well as the pride both countries take in the national sports, musical and other traditions associated with the Scottish Highland Games and Mongolia’s famous national festival, Naadam. He also praised our shared respect for the natural world and the beauty of our wild landscapes, and highlighted the potential for developing mutual engagement in areas including renewable energy, conservation, tourism and trade.
After a brief but visually stunning film on modern Mongolia to set the scene, Embassy staff gave presentations on their areas of specialisation.
Counsellor for Economic and Trade Affairs Ts. Zorigtbat provided a comprehensive guide to the Mongolian economy, providing a clear and user-friendly overview of key data and trends, and highlighting a range of objective challenges and opportunities.
First Secretary for Political Affairs N. Munkhjargal described the main drivers of Mongolian foreign policy, setting these in the context of the transition from Soviet-led communism to today’s parliamentary democracy with its emphasis on empowering women across society.
She provided a up-to-date reading of how Mongolia seeks to keep a strategic balance between its relations with its ‘two neighbours’ (Russia and China) and ‘third neighbours’, new partners in the international community. She also focused on a number of areas with potential for enhanced co-operation with the UK, including education, environmental protection and urban development.
B. Garid, First Secretary for Education and Cultural Affairs, gave a quick tour, supported by attractive visual material, around the rich store of Mongolian traditional culture set in Mongolia’s marvellous countryside and vibrant urban developments. He stressed UNESCO’s recognition of Mongolia’s unique and active cultural legacy and the objectives of current campaigns to promote Mongolia as a travel destination, stressing a number of parallels in Scotland’s similarly important tourism industry.
Following these presentations, Matthew Henderson, partner at Namsrai Henderson, moderated panel discussion of questions raised by the audience. Topics included ground truths arising from Mongolia’s strategic location; the impact of climate change; renewable energy; relations with Central Asia; improving sustainability of cashmere production (an area where there is growing co-operation with the UK and Scotland) and current global challenges to peace and security. Linking these varied topics was a strong sense of how positively the attendees regarded Mongolia both in terms of its domestic development and its international profile.
After the event at Queen Elizabeth House ended, taking advantage of glorious spring sunshine many of the guests joined the speakers and organisers in walking from Edinburgh’s ‘Old Town’ area to the popular Princes Street and the venue for a networking reception, the prestigious New Club founded in 1787.
Guests were able to follow up on questions for the Embassy delegation and meet others attending the event while enjoying the fine views of Edinburgh Castle on its imposing rock from the club’s third-floor balcony. In 2013, this was where the Mongolian military band stole the show at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo with an outstanding performance of music, dance and acrobatics in traditional costumes as well as full-dress uniform.
Since then, Mongolia’s international profile has grown exponentially- as shown by the enthusiastic reception last year for the astonishing ‘Mongol Khan’ spectacular in London. Many who attended this timely meeting in Edinburgh on 11 April were glad to hear how much scope there is to deepen friendship and co-operation between our two countries.
The event has attracted many positive comments. Among other feedback, attendees have said that they valued insights into Mongolia’s commitment to democracy, expressing support for this in current global circumstances. They stressed the significance of cashmere production to the Mongolian economy and as a key element in preserving the traditional herding lifestyle, endorsing the importance of improving sustainability and quality over quantity. Other comments from the cultural sector expressed appreciation for the event, noting the range and quality of Mongolia’s engagement with international culture.
The Asia Scotland Institute is a non-profit organisation which exists to promote a greater understanding of Asia through the sharing of knowledge. We run regular events with global leaders from across Asia, with the aim of stimulating curiosity and fostering an environment to promote the exchange of knowledge.
