Mongolian Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene and Foreign Minister B.Battsetseg arrive in Washington on Tuesday to start their meetings with Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior U.S. officials this week.

“Vice President Harris looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene of Mongolia to the White House on 2 August. The visit will highlight the strength of the U.S.-Mongolia Strategic Partnership and our ongoing work to deepen political, economic, and cultural ties,” said Harris’ press secretary Kirsten Allen.

This is the first official visit of a Mongolian prime minister to the United States since 2018.

The visit comes as the two countries are expanding cooperation on regional security and Mongolia’s deposits of rare earth minerals, which are crucial to the manufacture of high-tech items and renewable energy products, such as battery-powered electric vehicles.

In June, the U.S. and Mongolia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen critical mineral supply chains in the Indo-Pacific.