Lord Cameron in Mongolia; a timely and significant visit
The UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron’s visit to Mongolia from 25-26 April 2024, the culmination of a tour of six Central Asian countries, was timely and welcome. Last year, Britain and Mongolia celebrated sixty years of diplomatic relations, the first to be established between Mongolia and a Western state. Bilateral ties are cordial, but it is more than ten years since a Foreign Secretary visited Ulaanbaatar.
Lord Cameron’s speech on the context and aims of his visit merits close attention. It accords closely with the Mongolian government’s renewed emphasis on balancing relations with its immediate geographical neighbours, Russia and China, through greater engagement with ‘Third Neighbours’ who share modern Mongolia’s democratic values.
Against a vista of open steppe, Lord Cameron expressed enthusiastic support for enhanced co-operation with Mongolia in several key areas where the two countries share bilateral and global interests including trade, culture, education, and tourism. Increased funding for the Chevening scholarship programme will be especially welcome; a number of Mongolia’s top leaders have been Chevening students, and the programme now gives more Mongolian students access to the world class education at British universities. Another area Lord Cameron highlighted was Mongolia’s recent decision to adopt English as its second language. Both sides agreed to launch a new initiative supporting English language training for Mongolian teachers. Lord Cameron enjoyed a visit to an English lesson at a school in the capital which delivers an English language curriculum provided by a British organisation.
The Foreign Secretary’s visit and his important speech focus on the mutually beneficial connections between Mongolia and its Western friends and partners. Mongolia is a respected member of the rules-based international order. The warm welcome Lord Cameron received on this visit underscores the friendship that has developed between Britain and Mongolia over the last 60 years, which has grown even stronger since the transition to democracy.
Ms Battsetseg, the Mongolian Foreign Minister, mentioned in social media that Lord Cameron had presented her with a fine edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, with a personal note pointing out the remarkable fact that one of the tales is notionally set at the magnificent court of Chinggis Khaan.
As a parting gift, his Mongolian hosts presented Lord Cameron with a beautifully decorated traditional saddle. This was a good choice since the Foreign Secretary is a keen horseman; but the gift of a saddle is also a symbol of high respect and shared values, worthy to be passed on from generation to generation.