Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Mongolia from 25-26 April takes forward the outreach that began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tour to Ulaanbaatar in 2015, the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the northeast Asian country.

Minister Swaraj will co-chair the sixth round of the India-Mongolia Joint Consultative Committee with Mongolia’s Foreign Minister D.Tsogtbaatar. India and Mongolia had signed a joint statement on Strategic Partnership in 2015 when Prime Minister Modi announced a credit line of USD 1 billion for infrastructure development for Mongolia. This is being used by Mongolia to build its first oil refinery. The two ministers will review the projects under implementation during their meeting.

PM Modi’s landmark visit in 2015 coincided with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, adding a new dimension to India-Mongolia ties. Six decades ago, India was the first country outside the Soviet bloc to establish diplomatic ties with Mongolia. A few years later, India backed Mongolia’s membership to the United Nations even while Beijing and Taiwan were opposed to it.

Despite the distance between them, Mongolia considers India a “third neighbour” as well as a “spiritual neighbour”. Landlocked between two large neighbours, China on three sides and Russia to the north, Mongolia seeks a balance between the two neighbours and has made close friends among some countries which are referred to as the ‘third neighbours’.

Mongolia has large untapped resources and mineral reserves and its government is keen to attract investment in different sectors, including mining. India-Mongolia ties have been on an upswing in the past three years. Mongolia constitutes a part of India’s Act East policy and the relationship has moved forward from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership.