From 10 to 12 April 2023, at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Batmunkhin Battsetseg, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming paid an official visit to Ulaanbaatar.

During the visit, the SCO Secretary General met with President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Foreign Minister Batmunkhin Battsetseg, and had a working exchange of views with Deputy Foreign Minister Gombosurengiin Amartuvshin. He also took part in the International Analytical Conference on the topic: “Current Problems and Prospects of the SCO”, organized by the Mongolian National University together with reputable think tanks.

Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh welcomed the visit of the SCO Secretary General in order to get acquainted on the spot with the vision and considerations of Mongolia regarding cooperation with the SCO, and highly appreciated the achievements of the Organization in recent years. It was noted that since 2004, when Mongolia became an observer state at the SCO, it has been constantly actively participating in various activities of the Organization. In the current complex and volatile international situation, Mongolia intends to take full advantage of its geographical location, participate in a wide range of areas of practical cooperation within the SCO, such as agriculture, energy, transport and infrastructure, in order to contribute to the promotion further development of the SCO region.

The Secretary General thanked the Mongolian side for the invitation and warm welcome, stressing that thanks to this visit, he was convinced that the Mongolian side attaches great importance to interaction within the Organization. Mongolia was one of the first non-founding countries to join the “SCO family”. It has been an observer state for 19 years, has put forward many positive initiatives and has made an important contribution to the development of the Organization.

Zhang Ming also comprehensively informed the Mongolian side about the state of cooperation within the SCO in such important areas as politics, security, economics, humanitarian ties and international exchanges, stressing that the Organization is open to cooperation with Mongolia in relevant areas. He expressed the hope that Mongolia will increase participation in the life of the SCO in the interests of mutual favor, mutual benefit and common development, as well as giving new impetus to maintaining peace, security and stability in the region.

At the forefront of his speech at the International Analytical Conference on the topic: “Actual Problems and Prospects of the SCO”, the Secretary General put the acquaintance of representatives of the scientific community and diplomatic institutions of Mongolia and member states with the basic principles of the SCO and success in its development, which was positively received by the audience.