The European Union (EU) and Mongolia held their annual Joint Committee meeting under the EU-Mongolia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, in Ulaanbaatar on 4 April. The meeting offered the opportunity to reaffirm that partnership between the EU and Mongolia is based on democracy, human rights, the rule of law, multilateralism and the respect of the principles of the UN Charter.

The EU reiterated its support to Mongolia’s Third Neighbour Policy and welcomed Mongolia’s firm commitment to multilateralism. The EU and Mongolia also reaffirmed their commitment to continue to develop EU-Mongolia relations within the framework of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

The EU and Mongolia agreed on the importance to promote peace and security in Northeast Asia, and the EU expressed its appreciation of Mongolia’s bridging role in the respect.

The EU and Mongolia welcomed the training on gender-sensitivity for Mongolian peacekeepers jointly organised on the 35^th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024.

The EU and Mongolia agreed on the continued need to combat climate change and protect the environment as well as to support the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs Agenda. In that regard, the EU and Mongolia express their ambition to contribute to a successful outcome of COP 30. The EU and Mongolia are committed to addressing desertification and land degradation. In this spirit, the EU welcomed Mongolia for hosting the 17^th session of Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar in 2026 and looks forward to working with Mongolia on substantial achievements.

The EU remains fully committed to assist Mongolia in sustainably diversifying its economic and foreign trade policies. A stable, predictable and reliable business environment is of a crucial benefit for all economic operators. The EU appreciates Mongolia’s efforts so far and strongly encourages Mongolia to continue taking decisive measures towards improving the conditions for foreign investment. The EU and Mongolia agreed on the importance for Mongolia’s economic diversification to make greater use of the Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+).

The EU and Mongolia discussed the importance of energy for safeguarding the sovereignty of any country. The EU welcomed in that respect Mongolia’s plans to develop renewable energy and to increase its energy independence and confirmed its readiness to support this process.

The EU and Mongolia note that critical raw materials have a great potential to facilitate the diversification of Mongolia’s economy and trade as well as to increase the country’s energy independence. The EU and Mongolia envisage additional exchanges in this area.

The EU and Mongolia aim for decisive progress in the negotiations related to an agreement on the protection of geographical indications in 2025, paving the way for a swift conclusion of the process

The EU and Mongolia also discussed regional and global challenges. The EU and Mongolia expressed concern over the suffering of the civilian population and the bombing of civilian infrastructures, and emphasised the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States. The EU recalled its position clearly expressed in the UNGA resolutions ES-11/1, ES-11/2, ES-11/3, ES-11/4, ES-11/5, ES-11/6, ES-11/7 and ES-11/8. The EU reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter. The EU and Mongolia reaffirmed their commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including the need to respect the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of all nations. It is essential to uphold international law and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and security.

The EU and Mongolia reiterated their commitment to continue working together to protect and promote human rights. The EU and Mongolia held their annual Human Rights Dialogue on 2 April, which discussed most recent human rights related developments in the EU and Mongolia. The EU and Mongolia concurred on the importance of freedom of speech and media freedom in democratic societies. Mongolia expressed its intention to implement fully the recommendations of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

The EU and Mongolia held on 3 April a meeting of the Development Cooperation Working Group, during which both parties welcomed the significant progress achieved in the implementation of the Multiannual Indicative Programme for 2021-2027. In particular, they discussed about strengthening their cooperation in the renewable energy sector, reiterated their commitment to deliver on the Forest Partnership and explored digital connectivity opportunities, in line with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and Mongolia’s development agenda.

The EU and Mongolia confirmed that the Subcommittee on trade and investment would be organised in the coming days.

The EU and Mongolia agreed to hold their next Joint Committee meeting in 2026 in Brussels.

The Joint Committee was co-chaired by Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Munkhtushig Lkhanaajav, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia.