Speech by H.E. Mongolyin Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia, at the
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly 2015 Autumn Meeting

Ulaanbaatar September 16, 2015

Honorable President of the Assembly Mr. Ilkka Kanerva,
Honorable members,
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,

Forty years ago Helsinki hosted a meeting which laid down the foundation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
And, twenty five years ago, it was agreed to establish the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Paris.
In July 1990 Mongolia held her first democratic, multiparty parliamentary election.

In September 1990 Mongolia established her first permanent Parliament and has been consistently implementing open and democratic policies.
We know well. Europe lived through 30 years of mistrust and conflicts after World War-II. And the OSCE played a decisive role in finding the best way to end this impasse. And the process eventually led to end the Cold War.
We Mongolians want the world enjoy peace.
We want any dispute be settled through dialogue.
And we believe that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly would play an important role in this cause.

Honorable President of the Assembly,

The European continent has been the role model for the rest of the world for its prosperity, openness and freedom-loving spirit.
Speaking straightforwardly, the situation in Ukraine might instigate misunderstanding and deep conflicts in Europe.

And apparently, the situation in Ukraine cannot be resolved through coercive means.

Especially, posing sanctions and rejecting dialogue and engagement will not be the best way to solve the issue.
Mongolia views that the situation in Ukraine must be resolved by ceasefire and resolute enforcement of the Minsk Peace Plan.
The charged situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa also are the hard challenges of our time. As a direct aftermath, the situation of refugees is exacerbating. There are many other emerging issues which might threaten the very existence of the mankind. All of this requires us to examine the situation from new angles, more broadly and comprehensively.

Nevertheless, there are two good news worth noting.

One: The humankind still possesses the means, the opportunities to solve any emerging challenge. We do have lessons. We do have the remarkable scientific and technologies achievements. We have a new, young, tech-savvy, open, creative generation.

Two: We have the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Some of the challenges are spilling over the boundaries of one continent. This necessitates creating security, co-operation open mechanisms in continents. I am confident that the OSCE can serve as the best model for engagement and dialogue and cross-continental co-operation and shall be a leader in finding the solutions to the most pressing issues.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the past 25 years Mongolia pursued peace-loving, open, multi-pillar foreign policy. We also recorded notable success in strengthening human rights and freedoms, rule of law and democracy. And we have been encountering challenges as well. Mongolia firmly upholds the policy of solving any international dispute by peaceful means, not interfering into internal affairs and without application of force.

These policies and stances enable Mongolia to be a permanently neutral, peace-loving and open country. This past Monday the Government of Mongolia made a decision on the permanent neutrality status of Mongolia. And the public discussions of the issue are continuing. And hereby Mongolia conveys to the international community, to foreign states, that Mongolia will further consolidate the success and achievements we recorded in our policies and actions of the past 25 years and shall unwaveringly continue to pursue our open, multi-pillar, neutral, active, peace-loving policy. And it is auspicious and important that this present Autumn Meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly coincides with Mongolia’s statement.

Lawmakers in any country are seen as the small nation representing their greater nation. We are profoundly honored and happy to host in our country such respectable individuals. We kindly ask for your understanding and wide support of Mongolia’s peace-loving, neutral, active foreign policy. We have no doubt that our neighbors and other countries and international organizations with which Mongolia has maintained friendship would continue their active and constructive cooperation with Mongolia.
Mongolia shall further consolidate and strengthen our peace initiatives, openness and activity on international stage. We shall constructively cooperate with you. Mongolia’s doors will always be open to peace talks and engagement. We shall always welcome cooperation for prosperity. We would be happy to share with the lessons we have and are learning.

I wish success to the proceedings of the Meeting.
Thank you for your attention.