Mongolia expresses a willingness to assist North Korea to fight the outbreak

Mongolia‘s Deputy Foreign Minister B.Munkhjin received North Korean ambassador to Mongolia O Sung-ho in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on Friday and expressed the importance Mongolia attaches to promoting relations with North Korea.

Mongolia said it was ready to assist North Korea in the North’s efforts to fight against COVID-19, either through bilateral or multilateral arrangements.

North Korean ambassador to Mongolia O Sung-ho applauded the offer and expressed willingness to work with B.Munkhjin to further deepen Mongolia-North Korea ties.

Nearly 2.5 million people have been sickened by “fever” in North Korea and it is under a nationwide lockdown, according to the country’s state media. It is thought to be particularly vulnerable because it has little testing or vaccine supply.

Mongolia is a traditional partner for North Korea, and their relationship dates back to the Cold War, when the two countries were part of the Soviet bloc.Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mongolia and North Korea took divergent paths. Pyongyang maintained isolation and may have secretly started a uranium program in the ’90s, while Mongolia pursued democratization and declared itself a nuclear-weapon-free zone. Mongolia’s decision to reject weapons was rooted in a historical lesson.

Mongolia has been quietly playing a mediating role in the area of North Korea talks, hosting representatives from Pyongyang when they seek informal talks with counterparts from Japan and South Korea.