No abstract available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/mjia.v0i7.134  The Mongolian Journal of International Affairs; Number 7, 2000, Pages 3-

Critchfield, Andrew J

La Porta, Alphonse

English

Mongolia Journals Online

3 Number 7, 2000The Mongolian Journal of International AffairsU.S.-MONGOLIAN RELATIONS:TWO YEARS OF PROGRESSBy Alphonse La Porta and Andrew J. CritchfieldTwo years ago, an article in this journal entitled, “The Future is now,”presented prospects for expansion of U.S.-Mongolian relations. The article iden-tified several goals for Mongolia and the United States and highlighted thepromise that the future held for the two countries. It is a pleasure to report that,in fact, many of the goals outlined then have been achieved or are being accom-plished. The fabric of U.S.-Mongolian relations has been woven tightly duringthe past few years and continues to strengthen. In effect, we are experiencingthe future projected in the article two years ago.One stated goal for U.S.-Mongolian relations was to encourage high-rank-ing U.S. civilian and military officials to visit Mongolia. U.S. Secretary of StateMadeleine Albright visited Mongolia in May 1998. Since then, other U.S. offi-cials have also visited, including Under Secretary of State for Political AffairsThomas Pickering, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Walter Slocomb, Coun-selor of the Department of Commerce Jan Kalicki, and Commander of the PacificCommand Admiral Dennis Blair. Most recently, Supreme Court Justice SandraDay O’Connor visited Mongolia in September, 2000.These visits by U.S. officials, and reciprocal visits to the United States byMongolia’s Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and other Mongolian officials,have enabled political leaders of both nations to know each other better andhave given U.S. decision-makers a first-hand look at Mongolian conditions. Thevisits have fostered a strong foundation for the political relationship, economicdevelopment assistance policies, the military-to-military relationship, and com-mercial policies. They also have helped build a foundation for an as-yet unful-filled goal: a visit to Mongolia by a U.S. President or Vice President.Many U.S.-Mongolian projects and proposals which were in the planningstage two years ago are now being implemented, demonstrating the great progressthat has been achieved in the bilateral relationship. For example, new UnitedStates Agency for International Development (USAID) programs are runningsmoothly and benefiting Mongolia’s rural development in tangible ways. These-ALFONSE LA PORTA is the former U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia- A.J. CRITCHFIELD /M.S.Ithaca College, 1997/ resides in Washington, DC,Where he is a Howard University Sasakawa Fellow Number 7, 20004The Mongolian Journal of International Affairsinclude the Farmer-to-Farmer Program that strengthens the ability of herders tomake sound economic decisions and builds institutional capacities in enterpriseand market development. The program assists in improving the breed ofMongolia’s cashmere goats and introduces new farming technologies and man-agement methods. Another USAID project, the Gobi Regional Economic GrowthInitiative, uses its own newspaper, the Gobi Business News, and a local radiostation to provide herders with commercial news and commentary that will inte-grate their enterprises more fully with their markets and increase for them thebenefits of a free-market system. USAID also has established an innovative,non-bank financial institution which provides capital to herders for modernizingand diversifying their enterprises.USAID’s programs respond to the Mongolian Government’s request foreconomic policy expertise to bring the benefits of the free-market system to itscitizens. For instance, since 1995 the DAI Economic Policy Support Program hasbeen helping the Mongolian Government provide businessmen and citizenswith a renovated, up-to-date banking system for their business and personalneeds, as well as providing advice on sound macro-economic policies. TheBarents Group is assisting the Government in its privatization of state propertyand is supporting public education efforts to help Mongolian citizens under-stand the concept and process of privatization. The pension reform program,developed with USAID assistance, was approved by the Mongolian Parliamentlast year. USAID is funding A Country Competitiveness Exercise which will helpMongolia’s private and public sector leaders identify potential economic growthareas in this time of globalization.In areas outside the economic sphere, the U.S. has made its expertiseavailable to Mongolia. Mongolian and American legal experts-supported byUSAID assistance-worked together on USAID’s Rule of Law program anddrafted a strategic plan for the reform of the Mongolian judicial system. Thisplan, approved by Parliament in April 2000, can serve as a framework aroundwhich the Mongolian Government will be better prepared to coordinate interna-tional donor support while eliminating redundancy and increasing productivity.Mongolia can enjoy a legal system that promotes political freedoms and eco-nomic progress.U.S. scientific cooperation with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences hasgrown. Mongolian scientists work with the U.S. Geological Survey, NASA, andthe U.S. Air Force, among others. A new agreement with the U.S.-Asia Environ-ment Program (US-AEP) will focus on urban planning, zoning, and financialmanagement.5 Number 7, 2000The Mongolian Journal of International AffairsThe Peace Corps program continues to grow. Two years ago about 50American volunteers served in Mongolia; by the end of 2000 over 90 volunteerswill be serving throughout the country. These volunteers provide a glimpse,particularly in the countryside, of American values and personal energy. Theyalso are a major U.S. Government resource supporting English language study,thereby increasing Mongolia’s ability to interact effectively with the global com-munity.U.S. humanitarian assistance to Mongolia has increased. In fact, the con-tinued transfers of U.S. development and humanitarian assistance exceed the$12 million per year level that was set for the USAID country program. Theseadditional expenditures include $2-3 million in wheat assistance each year; dur-ing Fiscal Year 2000, between $3.5-4.0 million of wheat assistance was donatedfor winter disaster relief. Annually, the U.S. provides Mongolia over $2.5 millionin military humanitarian assistance. U.S.-funded educational programs inMongolia bring the total resource donation to well over $16 million per year.U.S.-Mongolian defense cooperation for military education and traininghas grown with the implementation of new programs, amounting to over $2.5million per year. The U.S. and Mongolia have agreed to cooperate further tomodernize the Mongolian Armed Forces for participation in international peace-keeping. This year, the U.S. will provide an additional $350,000 in assistance forpeacekeeping training, as well as funds and training for the Mongolian EliteBattalion to participate in the Central Asia Battalion (CENTRASBAT) peace-keeping training exercise. As Mongolia establishes itself as a regular partner inpeacekeeping, it will benefit from a fresh identity as a country that is integratingitself with the world community in a constructive manner.The U.S. and Mongolia have agreed to carry out further bilateral consulta-tions on the role of U.S. assistance in helping Mongolia maintain and improveits defense capabilities, such as border communications. Requested funding forborder communications equipment is pending approval in the U.S. Congress.Improved defense capabilities will help Mongolia balance its bilateral relation-ships with its two large neighbors and its relationships with other countries inthe region.The U.S. looks forward to significant growth in regional law enforcementcooperation and coordination activities to combat transnational problems suchas narcotics, smuggling, counterfeiting and money laundering, and the illegalmovement of people. U.S. Government agencies will provide training in borderenforcement, transnational criminal investigations, and forensics as these is- Number 7, 20006The Mongolian Journal of International Affairssues become more important in the bilateral relationship and in Mongolia’srelationships with other nations.With realization of many concrete bilateral goals, the relationship sharedby the U.S. and Mongolia has moved beyond the rhetorical “third neighbor”approach first cited by Secretary of State James Baker during his 1991 visit toMongolia. America is doing much to introduce Mongolia to its neighbors in thecommunity of democracies. As Mongolia becomes more fully intertwined withinits community through political, economic, and cultural ties, its identity as acontributing member will grow, and its future will be much more secure.Senior officials from the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and theU.S. Department of State meet annually to discuss regional and global issues. InMay 200Q, the latest in a series of such bilateral consultations was held inBangkok, Thailand. The discussions addressed a number of topics, includingrelations with Mongolia’s neighbors, China and Russia, as well as the KoreanPeninsula and other regional concerns. These discussions highlighted viewson regional issues shared by the two governments, confirming that U.S.-Mon-golian relations are based upon more than the transfer of resources.First, both the U.S. and Mongolia strongly support engagement with Rus-sia and China in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Second, both nations advo-cate rapprochement between North and South Korea and the other processesthat have been implemented to help North Korea become a better regional citi-zen. Third, both the U.S. and Mongolia fully agree that a greater emphasis onpreventive diplomacy in Northeast Asia is necessary. Fourth, both countrieslook forward to a strong, stable, prosperous, and moderate China as a positiveforce in regional stability. Fifth, both countries recognize a need for dialoguewith China on a full range of security, political, and economic issues, includingdemocracy and human rights, missile technology and nonproliferation, and re-gional law enforcement. Mongolia and the U.S. share a common interest inissues related to China’s governance of Tibet and share a common perceptionon religious freedom. Sixth, the U.S. and Mongolia both understand the impor-tance of maintaining continued dialogue with Russia on issues such as NATOexpansion, human rights, nuclear arms reductions, and nuclear missile defense.While the past two years of progress have brought greater cooperationand mutual understanding, it is also necessary to recognize that the immediatefuture holds three areas of concern for U.S.-Mongolian relations.First, there is concern that external assistance is not being used efficientlyin Mongolia and thus, that the nation will become dependent upon aid. Political7 Number 7, 2000The Mongolian Journal of International Affairsstalemate has prevented Parliament from approving important economic andsocial reforms in the past two years, contributing to donor skepticism and donorfatigue. A related concern among donor countries is that Mongolia may relax itseconomic reforms and return to policies of state control of production and out-dated socialist ideas, rather than decide how Mongolia can compete in globaleconomy. For example, Mongolia desperately needs a modern infrastructure.The energy system and industrial infrastructure are 30-50 years old and inad-equate for Mongolia to compete in global commerce. This kind of problem re-quires realistic, objective analysis and effective policy-making.Second, there is concern in the U.S. over the future direction of Mongolia’sleadership. Political stalemate of the past two years, with needed legislativeaction frozen by partisan intransigence in Parliament, necessitates reexamina-tion of Mongolia’s consensus for governance. This issue needs continued dis-cussion with leaders of the newly elected Government. The debate on gover-nance includes two important issues-the powers of the presidency and thedegree to which Mongolia has or should move towards a presidential form ofgovernment; and the proper role and functioning of the Constitutional Court.Further, the role of the Constitution itself as the basis for governance must beexamined. Some of these issues will be considered under the USAID Rule of Lawprogram.The third also of immediate concern for U.S.-Mongolian relations is theeconomic and political policies of the new Government. There arc some con-cerns that the new Government may adopt regressive political and economicpolicies that can undermine the foundations for future U.S. cooperation. Thedemocratic credentials of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP)were established when the Mongolian people clearly supported it at the polls.The U.S. had a strong interest in seeing that the elections of July 2000 were freeand fair. The International Republican Institute, IRI, worked with the ElectionCommission on a number of initiatives. The IRI posted observers in Ulaanbaatarand in several aimags to observe the actual conduct of the election. They con-cluded that the elections were free and fair, although they witnessed problemsthat should be addressed before local elections in the fall of 2000.The U.S. will deal with the new Government on the same basis as theformer coalition government. The policies of the new Government will influenceU.S. policy-making, just as the policies of the former coalition had an  impact onthe formulation of U.S. policies during the past four years. The policies of theruling MPRP and their implementation remain to be seen. Number 7, 20008The Mongolian Journal of International AffairsHowever, there were some items on the MPRP election platform that wereclearly different from the development strategy that was adopted by the govern-ment when the MPRP last led the Government in 1992-96. For example, someMPRP leaders have said that the Central Bank should not be independent. TheMPRP platform also indicated that the Government would intervene in exchangerates and interest rates. Governmental intervention in these areas and otherpolicies will likely bring conflict with the World Bank, IMF, and other donors.The International donor’s consultative group meeting, now scheduled for No-vember 30-December 1, 2000, will include an intensive examination of the eco-nomic policies of Mongolia’s new Government.The U.S. seeks to work with the new Government and hopes it will seekconsensus in the Parliament and in the community at large. The U.S. would liketo see a Mongolian Government that promotes civil society and redefines na-tional attitudes on key issues such as corruption. There must be resistance toany return of authoritarianism. The U.S. favors development of parliamentary,multi-party democracy in Mongolia, and the worldwide democratic communityjoins the U.S. in this wish for Mongolia and its people.U.S.-Mongolian relations require the two countries to nurture their rela-tionship in order to effectively promote shared interests. The U.S. and Mongoliahave paid particular attention to this concept in the past two years, and as aresult, substantial progress has been made. The U.S. sees a more stable, moreprosperous Mongolia which supports regional stability and prosperity, aMongolia dealing seriously with judicial reform, democratization, economic lib-eralization, privatization, and development of an expansive foreign policy whichlinks it with the region and the world.In turn, we hope Mongolia sees the U.S. as a reliable partner, a countrywith much to offer in terms of assistance and support as Mongolia continues it’spolitical, economic and social reforms. If both nations continue to nurture therelationship with respect for mutual interests and values, the bilateral relation-ship will continue to grow.With cooperation and continued engagement, U.S.-Mongolian relationswill continue to resemble a tightly woven fabric. The fulfillment of many morepromises and opportunities await us.

U.S.-Mongolian Relations: Two Years of Progress

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U.S.-Mongolian Relations: Two Years of Progress

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