U.S.-Mongolia Annual Bilateral Consultation Joint Statement

State Dept Press Releases

Published March 17th, 2026

Detected March 17th, 2026

Summary

The United States and Mongolia held their 17th Annual Bilateral Consultations on March 17, 2026, in Ulaanbaatar. The joint statement outlines continued cooperation on peace, security, economic development, energy, digital technologies, and people-to-people ties, reaffirming their Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership.

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The U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia released a joint statement following their 17th Annual Bilateral Consultations held on March 17, 2026. The statement details discussions and commitments to deepen cooperation under the U.S.-Mongolia Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership. Key areas of focus include peace and security in the Indo-Pacific, economic engagement, energy cooperation, collaboration in digital technologies and critical minerals, and bolstering people-to-people ties through educational and cultural exchanges. The statement also highlights the upcoming completion of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s $462 million Mongolia Water Compact.

This document is a notice of ongoing diplomatic discussions and does not impose new regulatory obligations or deadlines on regulated entities. It serves to inform stakeholders about the continued strategic relationship and areas of mutual interest between the United States and Mongolia. The next consultation is scheduled for 2027 in Washington.

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Joint Statement on the U.S.-Mongolia Annual Bilateral Consultation

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

March 17, 2026

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Mongolia on the occasion of the Annual Bilateral Consultations.

Begin text:

Representatives of the United States and Mongolia held the 17th Annual Bilateral Consultations on March 17 in Ulaanbaatar.

The dialogue was co-chaired by Michael George DeSombre, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and L. Munkhtushig, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia. It was attended by Richard Buangan, Ambassador of the United States of America to Mongolia, and U. Batbayar, Ambassador of Mongolia to the United States of America; by representatives from the U.S. Department of State and Department of War; and by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Development, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Energy, and Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Communications of Mongolia.

Recognizing that Mongolia and the United States have a shared interest in global peace, freedom, democracy, and economic prosperity, the two sides expressed their continued support for the U.S.-Mongolia Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership and pledged to deepen cooperation. Both sides celebrated the upcoming completion of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s $462 million Mongolia Water Compact.

Mongolian and U.S. officials discussed their cooperation to promote bilateral and regional cooperation on peace and security matters, including in the Indo-Pacific, grounded in mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States welcomed Mongolia’s commitment to increasing its contributions to international stability and security, including through playing a leading role in peacekeeping missions around the world. Both sides highlighted their shared resolve to promote responsible and legal travel through the Travel Responsibly campaign and other cooperation. They also discussed continuing their work together to uphold freedom of expression, religious freedom, and other human rights.

The two sides reaffirmed the importance of exchanging high-level visits and maintaining regular dialogues, as well as bolstering mutually beneficial economic engagement. They also committed to exploring opportunities to expand energy cooperation as a means of increasing long-term economic growth for both countries. Both sides expressed interest in collaborating in the digital domain, including artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies, to strengthen connectivity and prosperity. They highlighted critical minerals and clean coal technologies as areas for potential cooperation, and affirmed their desire to explore cooperation on alternative sources of energy. Both sides recognized that a predictable and transparent business climate is essential to expanding economic cooperation and increasing bilateral trade and investment.

The two sides committed to continue to work together to bolster people-to-people ties through educational and cultural exchanges and the promotion of the English language in Mongolia.

The United States and Mongolia decided to maintain the exchange of high-level bilateral visits and hold the next Annual Bilateral Consultations in 2027 in Washington.

End text.