If Mongolia didn”t pop into your
mind first, you”re probably not alone.

This country of just 2.8 million
people is landlocked in the middle of Asia, but it”s growing at more than twice
the rate of China.

Its staggering rate of more than
17%-a-year growth last year may explain why U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton made a pilgrimage to Mongolia, along with Vice President Joe Biden and
before him George W. Bush.

Not to mention a parade of other
Western and Asian powers, including China, along with corporate titans by the
planeload.

Mongolia”s secret? It sits atop a
mountain of mineral wealth: coal, copper, gold and a torrent of global money
are all forcing revolutionary changes.

Mongolia has managed the change from
traditional nomadic herding culture to major economic political power. And it’s
gone from a Soviet-style communism to democracy.

“This is a great opportunity,”
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Monday. “But we
have to manage that. We have to share that great opportunity with all our
people.”

Despite this huge wealth, there is
growing inequality and worry that it won”t be spread around.

There are also concerns about
corruption, as so often happens in rapidly emerging economies.

“I see corruption as a mortal enemy
for young democracies,” President Elbegdorj said.

He believes the zero-tolerance
policies the country is attempting to implement can help shield the country.

It’s neighbor China is a natural
trading partner, but Elbegdorj believes the country must build more
infrastructure to create gateways between both China and Russia.

And he believes the U.S. and
Mongolia have a common strategic interest.

“Our men and women in uniform
actually serve together in Iraq; now we”re serving in Afghanistan, in other hot
spots.”

Elbegdorj was recently in Iran for
the non-aligned meeting.

He was the first foreign head of
state to visit Natanz – Iran”s main center for uranium enrichment.

Why did he visit?

“There was open opportunity to any
head of state who is participating in the non-alliance movement meeting, and I
thought, why I do not use that opportunity? And I went.”

He said Mongolia’s position is that
Iran should comply with the U.N. Security Council resolution.

On the subject North Korea – and the
possibility of reform under its new young leader, Kim Jong Un- Elbegdorj sounds
optimistic. He says his country has established good relations with North
Korea.

“I think Mongolia is really uniquely
positioned towards North Korea. We have an embassy in North Korea. We have an
embassy in Seoul.”

He says foremost for North Korea
must be economic reforms, but that Mongolia could help guide that country
because of a potentially shared experience in the transition to democracy and a
market economy.

But questions still linger about
democracy back in Mongolia.

Elbegdorj was instrumental in
fighting for democracy, but the country’s previous president, Nyamdorj
Enkhbayar, has since been arrested and there are charges against him.

He and other independent observers
have complained that this is entirely politically motivated and that he has not
been treated according to internationally admissible norms. Some believe the
charges are politically motivated.

“Mongolia has a policy, zero
tolerance of corruption.” Elbegdorj says. “And I fought for freedoms since the
cold winter in 1989, for 23 years. And I regard that corruption is the mortal
enemy, but also no one is above the law. That”s the essence of democracy. And
because of that, we have to be very tough in order to sell our people”s
historic choice to freedom. And we need to rid of corruption.”

Mongolia”s handling of the case will
serve as a gauge of progress for Mongolia”s young democracy.

http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/25/whats-the-fastest-growing-economy-in-the-world/