On 7 July, the people of Mongolia elected its new president, Mr Khaltmaa Battulga, in a highly competitive contest. This was the seventh Presidential election since Mongolia's transition to democracy in 1990.

According to the preliminary conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM), the election was competitive and well-organised with the freedoms of assembly and expression generally respected. The European Union looks forward to Mongolia's authorities addressing the issues identified in the preliminary IEOM report,  notably the lack of specific regulatory provisions pertaining to the holding of a second round run-off.

The EU reiterates its strong and continuing support for Mongolia with whom it shares universal values of democracy, rule of law and human rights. With the forthcoming entry into force of the EU-Mongolia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, the EU is looking forward to cooperating further with Mongolia's newly elected President as well as the Government of Mongolia to strengthen our partnership to the benefit of Mongolian and European citizens.