Ambassador Jonathan Addleton, US Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

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ASIA SOCIETY BREAKFAST REMARKS
Ambassador Jonathan Addleton
June 14, 2011
Washington, DC
“WARM RELATIONS IN A COLD PLACE: THE UNITED STATES AND MONGOLIA”
Thank you for the opportunity to provide some informal remarks this morning – on the eve of President
Elbegdorj’s official visit to Washington.
Over the years, the US-Mongolian relationship has had many positive moments and this certainly
promises to be one of them. Indeed, I believe that in future years 2011 may be viewed as a pivotal
moment in our relationship on many fronts.
* * * * *
Although many in this audience are already very familiar with Mongolia, let me start with a quick
overview:
-- First, Mongolia is a large country. If you superimposed Mongolia on a map of the United States, it
would stretch from Washington, DC, to Denver Colorado. In terms of land area, at 1.6 million square
kilometers Mongolia is roughly the same size as Alaska. While referring to Denver, it is perhaps worth
mentioning that this year marks the 10th
anniversary of the Denver-Ulaanbaatar sister city relationship –
and the new road outside our Embassy in Ulaanbaatar is now known as “Denver “Street”.
-- Second, it has a small but vibrant population. According to the most recent census results issued just
a few weeks ago, the population of Mongolia is approximately 2.7 million, nearly half of whom reside in
Ulaanbaatar. According to most accounts, Mongolia ranks as the most sparsely populated country in
the world. Seeing Ambassador Dinger here this morning reminds me of the long trip we took together
in February 2002 or perhaps it was February 2003 across Uvs, one of Mongolia’s western provinces – we
drove 300 kilometers across the snow-covered steppe and did not see a single other living soul,
something that would be difficult to duplicate in most other countries.
-- Third, it is a cold country. The fact, is I enjoy living in Mongolia in all seasons – but Ulaanbaatar has a
reputation of vying with Ottawa as the “world’s coldest capital”. If you visit in January, the temperature
may well be forty below. That is where Fahrenheit and centigrade intersect – and approximately the
temperature outside the airplane cabin at 35,000 feet when you are flying across the Pacific.
-- Fourth, it is a place of vast and impressive landscapes. Mongolia is perhaps most closely associated
with the Gobi Desert but it also includes mountains reaching to 14,000 feet in the far west; rivers, lakes
and forests in the north toward Siberia; and an extensive central belt of steppe and grasslands that, in

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the east, includes a migration of tens and even hundreds of thousands of gazelles each year, reputed to
be the largest migration of mammals anywhere in the world outside the Serengeti.
-- Fifth, it retains living links with a fascinating past. In recent years, Genghis Khan, sometimes referred
to as the “Man of the Millennium” in terms of his far-reaching influence, has emerged once again as a
national hero, the founder of the Mongol state whose name appears on everything from vodka brands
to hotels. The fact that large numbers of Mongolians live as herders and nomads also makes it culturally
interesting. By the way, it really is true that children in the Mongolian countryside often begin to learn
to ride before they learn to walk; that girls and boys ride equally well; and that the favorite rural drink is
fermented mare’s milk. Perhaps it is for these reasons that a CNN poll earlier this year ranked
Mongolians along with Brazilians and Jamaicans as one of the “coolest peoples” in the world.
-- Sixth, it matters more than you might immediately think. Situated between China and Russia,
Mongolia is simultaneously part of both North East Asia and Central Asia. It maintains ties with North
Korea as well as South Korea and provides a positive example of transition from a Soviet state to a
market based democracy in the space of a single generation.
-- Finally, although the country faces tremendous challenges, there is tremendous opportunity on the
horizon. . Recent press accounts and geological surveys detail substantial reserves of gold, copper,
uranium, “rare earths” elements and other natural resources. If the government successfully manages
its resource wealth, Mongolia could rank as one of the fastest growing economies over the next decade.
Already, Mongolia’s GDP has increased from $1 billion to $5 billion over the last ten years. Those of you
who visit Ulaanbaatar will perhaps be surprised by the construction boom underway as well as the
tremendous traffic jams. As I recall, the annual government budget when I arrived in Mongolia back in
2001 was on the order of $300 million annually; now, it has grown to around $2-$3 billion.
The nature of the challenges facing Mongolia is such that the more successful Mongolia is, the harder it
gets. Part of this has to do with the age-old challenge of being a small country among large neighbors.
But part of the challenge is also an internal one.
Specifically, the challenges associated with sudden mineral wealth are well known and often quite
sobering. International experience suggests that in such circumstances, several important themes need
to be emphasized, including transparency, education, infrastructure, “checks and balances” and
concerted efforts to address corruption as well as potential environmental concerns. Senior Mongolians
as well as “ordinary” Mongolians are well aware of these “lessons learned”. Looking ahead, though, the
challenge will be in terms of implementation.
* * * * *
Mongolia is also a country that is acutely aware of dates and anniversaries, frequently celebrating many
of them.
An Ambassador is typically in place for three years and my own tenure coincides with three significant
moments:
-- 2010, which marks the 20th
anniversary of Mongolia’s “decision for democracy”. The winds of change
crossing the former Soviet Union during the 1980s also reached Mongolia and the fall of the Berlin Wall

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had an impact in Ulaanbaatar, culminating with large scale pro-democracy demonstrations in
Sukhbaatar Square in Central Ulaanbaatar in 1990, a movement that eventually brought down the
government and led to a new constitution, a multi-party democracy and an entirely different political
system.
President Elbegdorj himself spoke to parliament at one of the 20th
anniversary celebrations shortly after
I arrived in Mongolia in November 2009. As I recall, almost all of the 22 ambassadors resident in
Ulaanbaatar attended this event and it was quite fascinating to reflect on the diverse range of countries
represented in the observation gallery watching Mongolia celebrate democracy that morning, a list that
included France, the UK, Germany, Japan, India, Kazakhstan, Cuba, North Korea and the Czech Republic.
-- 2011 marks the 100th
anniversary of Mongolia’s reassertion of independence from China and, by some
accounts, the 90th
anniversary of the emergence of a modern Mongolian state.
As Mongolia reemerged on the world map, its early leaders wrote diplomatic letters to the US,
Germany, UK and other powers, asking these countries to recognize Mongolia as a sovereign state and
open embassies in Urga, as Ulaanbaatar was then known. In reality, it was the emerging Soviet Union
that responded most quickly and in 1921 Mongolia was proclaimed as the first socialist state in Asia,
with direct backing and support from Moscow.
To this day, Mongolia seeks cordial and productive relations with China and Russia, its “first” and
“second” neighbors. But its foreign policy is also built on strengthening ties with a wide range of “third
neighbors,” including not only the United States but also Korea, Japan, India and various European
countries.
From a Mongolian standpoint, robust relations with these “third neighbors” ensures a “three
dimensional” foreign policy, one that involves not only strengthened bilateral ties but also a deepening
engagement with the UN and other multilateral actors.
-- 2012 marks the 25th
anniversary of the launch of formal diplomatic relations between Mongolia and
the United States. It could easily have happened earlier. In fact, in the Mongolian National Archives I
have seen a reference to what I believe is the first American to ever visit Mongolia – a “travel pass” from
1862 allowing an American citizen to transit Mongolia en route between Russia and China.
Other highlights from those early years include a then young Herbert Hoover who rode across the Gobi
desert to Urga in the late 1890s, where he later remembered seeing a young Bogd Khan bicycling in the
courtyards of Gandan Monastery; the much publicized Roy Chapman Andrews “dinosaur hunting”
expeditions to the Gobi in the 1920s; and an official visit by then Vice President Wallace to Siberia,
Central Asia and Mongolia in the waning months of World War II.
Despite these early encounters, it was only in January 1987 that we finally formalized diplomatic ties
and launched and exchange of ambassadors. Since that time, it might easily be said that we have been
“making up for lost time”. Two of those here this morning – Ambassador LaPorta and Ambassador
Dinger – were directly involved in advancing US-Mongolian bilateral relations during their tenures in
Ulaanbaatar. And, in the remainder of my remarks, I want to quickly highlight five areas where our
relations have become especially strong:
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-- First, development: This year marks the 20th
anniversary of USAID in Mongolia. USAID launched its
first programs in 1991 and over the past twenty years has provided more than $200 million in grant
assistance. Initially, aid focused on emergency relief, including in the all-important energy sector.
Over the last decade, USAID has supported work in other areas, including business development,
banking services, financial reform and environmental concerns. Looking back, I also recall the historic
USAID role in the development of two of Mongolia’s four largest banks, Xaan Bank and Xaac Bank.
Dollar for dollar, the USAID program in Mongolia has an impressive record of success.
Nearly four years ago, the United States and Mongolia signed a Millennium Challenge Compact in the
White House, marking an important new phase in U.S. bilateral assistance. The Compact provides $285
million in grant assistance over five years, with a focus on infrastructure, health, vocational training, land
management and the environment.
-- Second, commercial ties: The next obvious step for the United States and Mongolia is to increase our
trade and investment linkages, a win-win situation for both the United States and Mongolia that also
supports President Obama’s goal to double U.S. exports between 2010 and 2015. Certainly, Mongolia
will be in a much better place when it moves beyond aid relationships to commercial ones, a process
that is already underway.
In 2010, for the first time, US exports to Mongolia surpassed $100 million, a 180 percent increase over
the 2009 figure. Early reports for 2011 suggest that this year the figure may double again. There are
also a number of quality investment opportunities for U.S. companies, including in the mining sector
that many in this room are already familiar with. Certainly, from the start of my own ambassadorship I
have emphasized the importance of building strong commercial relations between our two countries.
-- Third, democracy: Mongolia’s commitment to democracy gives its relationship with Europe, India,
Korea, Japan, the United States and other countries sharing similar values an added boost.
It is no surely no coincidence that President Elbegdorj’s first state visit on taking office was to India – a
fellow Asian state and also the world’s largest democracy. A student leader during the early 1990s,
President Elbegdorj is also the first Mongolian president to have studied in the United States, in his case
at Colorado and at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
In recent years, a number of senior visitors have passed through Ulaanbaatar, including at least three
Secretaries of State (James Baker, Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice); then First Lady Hilary
Clinton; and then President George Bush. At another level, a House Democracy Partnership program is
strengthening interaction between our Congress and Mongolia’s Great Hural – as evidenced by the visit
to Ulaanbaatar just last week of a four-personal Congressional delegation including Congressman Drier
from California and Congressman Price from North Carolina. A few days earlier, Senator Blunt from
Missouri and Assistance Secretary Kurt Campbell had both also visited Mongolia.
For Mongolia, its forthcoming chairmanship of the Community of Democracies provides yet another
opportunity to extend “lessons learned” from the Mongolian experience to other countries in the region
and beyond.

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-- Fourth, security: The transformation of the small Mongolian army numbering around 12,000 troops
into a mobile peacekeeping force that works closely with the militaries of other countries and deploys
on UN and other peacekeeping assignments abroad is a story that perhaps should be better known. The
list of places where Mongolian soldiers have served under the UN flag in recent years is a long and
honorable one and includes Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Darfur, Chad and elsewhere. Over the years, Five
Hills west of Ulaanbaatar has with international support developed as an impressive regional
peacekeeping center.
Mongolian soldiers also served with coalition members in Iraq and are serving with ISAF in Afghanistan –
in fact, in March, it was my privilege to visit with the Mongolian soldiers at Camp Eggers in Kabul and in
three different bases on the outskirts of Kabul, where they are training members of the Afghan National
Army. Earlier this year, Mongolia committed to doubling its deployment in Afghanistan, from 200 to
400.
-- Fifth, people-to-people relationships: In my view, strong people-to-people relationships, along with
strong commercial relationships, are essential for ties between two countries to be sustained and
flourish over long periods of time. In the spaces of less than 25 years, ties between the US and Mongolia
in this area have grown significantly and at all levels.
For example, earlier this month 68 new Peace Corps volunteers arrived in Ulaanbaatar to start their two-
year assignments. This is one of the largest contingent of Peace Corps volunteers in proportion to the
overall population anywhere. Their arrival marks the 20th
anniversary of a Peace Corps presence in
Mongolia, which dates back to summer 1991. The Peace Corps Volunteers assigned to Mongolia serve
in some of the most remote corners of this very large country – and the 700 plus returned Volunteers
bring something of Mongolia back to the United States when they complete their assignments.
We can also take pride in thriving cultural exchanges, including music visits in both directions. One
highlight was last summer, when some 20,000 Mongolians gathered in Sukhbaatar Square to hear
Ozomatli, a Grammy Award winning band from Los Angeles. Jazz, dance and other music forms are also
part of the cultural mix.
In addition, Mongolia has been very competitive in the annual State Department grants program under
the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, culminating last year in an award of $585,000 to help
preserve, maintain, protect and restore Amarbayasgalant Monastery, a magnificent structure five hours
north of Ulaanbaatar. In fact, only four countries have been awarded large grants under this program
thus far – Turkey, Afghanistan; Pakistan and Mongolia. Smaller grants have been used, among other
things, to support the Zanabazar Museum in Ulaanbaatar, the Davsanrajva Museum in Sainshand and a
pioneering effort to document all the monasteries in Mongolia destroyed during the 1930s.
The growing numbers of Mongolian students in the US is also testament to our thriving relationship. At
this point, nearly 1,000 Mongolians are studying in the US under various programs, a few under US
government scholarship such as Fulbright or Humphrey but many more making use of either personal
funds or private scholarships. Increasingly, Mongolians are also participating in the summer work
program, providing opportunities for hundreds of young Mongolians to experience the United States at
first hand.

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A final interesting fact: 25 years ago, only a tiny number of Mongolians had ever managed to visit the
United States; yet over the last two decades, the US Embassy in Ulaanbaatar has issued well over 50,000
visas to Mongolian citizens to visit the United States for business, cultural, tourist or study purposes.
Taken together, US-Mongolian interactions in each of these five areas over the last quarter century have
established a strong platform for continued growth in the years ahead.
* * * * *
When reflecting on the growth and expansion of US-Mongolian ties during the recent past, I sometimes
recall the statement made by a US diplomat and trade envoy to China named A.W. Ferrin who first
visited Ulaanbaatar some 90 years ago, fully 60 years before we actually opened up diplomatic ties and
exchanged ambassadors.
In urging his superiors in Washington to open a diplomatic presence in Mongolia, he made the case for
commercial opportunity while also stating his strong personal belief that the United States could well
prove to be, in his words, “a most helpful factor in the development of a wonderful country”.
Although Ferrin’s poignant request to open an office in Mongolia’s capital was turned down, to my mind
the words of that almost forgotten diplomat still survive in the State Department archives – and
resonate across several decades of diplomatic history as well.
Looking ahead to next year, when we join with Mongolia in celebrating our 25 years of formal
diplomatic ties – and more than a century of informal encounters – I too share this long-standing hope
that Mongolia’s connections with the United States will prove to be mutually beneficial. I also sincerely
hope that our encounters in a wide range of areas will indeed make a useful contribution as we continue
to aspire to become “a most helpful factor in the development of a wonderful country.”
And now, I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have about Mongolia or about the
state of US-Mongolian relations at this critical juncture when we look forward to a meeting of our two
presidents later this week.
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