Mongolian Prime Minister S. Batbold welcomed U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to Mongolia yesterday. Biden became the first U.S. vice president to visit Mongolia since Henry Wallace in 1944. Mr. Batbold said Mr. Biden’s visit was a demonstration of America’s support for Mongolia’s democratic society. The visit came shortly before the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

The prime minister said the visit was a good opportunity to develop broad cooperation between the two countries. He also said Mongolia would consider playing some role in the sensitive six-party talks involving North Korea.

The prime minister said Mongolia and the United States have great opportunities to become strong business and economic partners. For instance, the United States has a highly-developed technology sector, while Mongolia has enormous mineral resources and huge investment potential. But as a landlocked nation, the prime minister said Mongolia needs support to reduce the cost of exporting goods. 

Both sides agreed that nuclear energy should be used only for peaceful purposes. The prime minister noted that the two countries are already cooperating militarily. Mongolia has organized peacekeeping exercises with the U.S. military since 2001.

The two sides also discussed education issues. The prime minister said he would like more Mongolian students to study mining in the United States, and asked the vice president to consider making scholarships available for that purpose. The prime minister also asked that Mongolia be added to America’s “visa waiver” program.

Mr. Biden said he appreciated his visit, and stated that the U.S. and Mongolia share many common interests. He also said the U.S. is pleased that Mongolia considers it a “third neighbor.” He said Mongolia is a nation with a rich history and a bright future. He also promised to work on the issues he discussed with the prime minister.