Cooperation, engagement vital to Northeast Asian stability, prosperity
FORUM Staff
Multilateral collaboration was at the core of diplomatic and military engagements that drew hundreds of delegates, experts and service members to Mongolia in May and June 2023 to discuss complex security challenges in Northeast Asia and beyond.
The annual Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on Northeast Asian Security, named in part for the Mongolian capital and organized by the nation’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and Institute for Strategic Studies, seeks to embody the Mongolian proverb, “There is no wrong if all together discuss the issue.”
The conference also reflected Mongolia’s strategic role in the region, where “vexing historical and territorial disputes” persist among nations, and tensions on the Korean Peninsula undermine stability, according to Mongolia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Shortly after the event, military personnel from dozens of nations kicked off Khaan Quest, a two-week peacekeeping exercise at the Five Hills Training Area outside Ulaanbaatar.
Mongolia shares a 4,600-kilometer border with China along its eastern, western and southern edges, and a 3,400-kilometer border with Russia to its north. With 3.2 million people spread across 1.5 million square kilometers, Mongolia is one of the world’s least densely populated nations. The landlocked country is rich in natural resources, including oil, coal, copper, nickel, silver and gold.
“It remains one of our top foreign policy objectives to not only develop and strengthen ties with our neighbors, but also to constructively contribute our share to the common well-being and security of the region,” the nation’s U.N. mission stated. “Today, more than ever, it has become imperative to resolve the misunderstandings and disputes in our region through dialogue and discussion.”
Nearly 200 conference participants from about 30 nations and 10 international organizations, including the U.N., explored topics such as regional security, economic cooperation and the role of power grid connectivity in the clean energy transition, the state-owned Montsame News Agency reported.
Launched a decade ago, the event “is an open platform that enables dialogue and engagement over hard power and apprehension,” Bolor Lkhaajav, a researcher specializing in Mongolia and Northeast Asia, wrote in a June 2023 article for the Asia Pacific Bulletin, a publication of the East-West Center, a Hawaii-based research institution.
“Between 2013 and 2022, Northeast Asia’s external geopolitical and security environment changed dramatically,” Lkhaajav wrote. “Albeit Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not directed toward Northeast Asia, countries that have historically intractable disputes or carry hegemonic agendas are on edge. China’s economic warfare with the United States certainly impacts economic mechanisms across the region. Moreover, North Korea’s intermittent missile tests only contribute to destabilizing the region’s post-Cold War status quo, which has kept the region relatively peaceful in many ways.”
The late May inaugural meeting of representatives of Mongolia, South Korea and the U.S. in Ulaanbaatar focused on such concerns. Foreign affairs officials from each nation “emphasized the importance of international law, including the United Nations Charter and the principles of sovereign equality, respect for the independence and territorial integrity of states, promotion of and respect for human rights, and prohibition of the threat or use of force,” according to the U.S. State Department.
They also agreed to develop the trilateral partnership to promote Mongolia’s role in the global supply chain for mineral resources and to support U.N. peacekeeping operations, among other collaborative efforts.
The multilateral Khaan Quest, which is marking its 20th anniversary, prepares forces for peacekeeping missions by enhancing capabilities and interoperability. “This exercise is not only a great opportunity to exchange lessons and techniques, it is also an expression of the commitment of the participating nations to the charter of the United Nations,” Maj. Gen. Chris Smith, deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), said in a news release.
“A key part of that charter is to maintain international peace and security,” Smith said. “Peacekeeping still serves an essential purpose around the world.”
Hosted by the Mongolian Armed Forces and co-sponsored by USARPAC, the exercise included command post and field training components.
“Mongolia always pursues a peace-loving, open, independent and multipillar foreign policy,” Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh said at the opening ceremony. “The exercise has been making a significant contribution to increasing the peace support capacity of participating countries and strengthening their friendship and military trust.”
IMAGE CREDIT: SGT. ADRIANNE TUANTE/U.S. ARMY
