In 2024, Mongolia and Kazakhstan raised their traditional friendly relationships with a New level: a strategic partnership. The improved relationship between Ulaanbaatar and Astana is an example of how Mongolia without coastlines addresses geopolitical challenges to extend its political and economic ties with “third neighbors” – including partners in Central Asia.
Mongolia and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations in 1992, a year after Kazakhstan became independent, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. At the time, Mongolia crossed Its democratization process While Kazakhstan was put in place as an independent state. Mongolia recognition of Kazakhstan’s independence has been important to establish modern diplomacy between the new governments of the two countries.
The longtime president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Mongolia in 2008. During this trip, Nazarbayev received the highest distinction from Mongolia, the order by Erdene Ochir, for her contribution to the development of bilateral relations in Mongolia-Kazakhstan.
Sixteen years later, in 2024, President Kazakh Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a historical visit to the state to Mongolia. During the high -level meeting between Tokayev and his counterpart, Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, the two leaders underlined the cooperation passed as a success, but also sought opportunities to advance and diversify cooperation, in particular in the fields of trade, new technologies and space research.
The visit to the state of Tokayev in Ulaanbaatar resonated at the diplomatic but also cultural level. In his message to the Mongolian government and the people, Tokayev said: “This state visit is of particular importance to me. Mongolia is an important neighboring country in our region. Our two countries share the mutual good will, a common history and shared intellectual and cultural values. »»
Indeed, beyond government relations to government, cultural ties between Mongolia and Kazakhstan tackle questions of historical and contemporary identity.
Historically, Mongolia was involved in the migrations of the Kazakh people and the protection of their culture. After the independence of Kazakhstan in 1991, many members of the Mongolian Kazakh population moved to Kazakhstan. In Kazakhstan, however, the transition to independence, coupled with economic turbulence, led to difficulties for reinstalled Mongols. Thousands of people finally returned to Mongolia. Today, Kazakh Mongols represent 4% of the country’s population, living mainly in Bayan-Ulgii and neighboring provinces.
The Mongolian Kazakh population represents a rich cultural vein of the ethnic diversity of Mongolia, which helps the country to connect with the rest of the world. For example, the documentary “The Eagle Huntress” presented Aisholpan Nurgaiv, a young Mongolia Kazakh who breaks the barriers by participating in the Golden Eagle Festival, a traditionally male competition. The film – with a dialogue in Kazakh – aroused international renown and stimulated interest in tourism in Mongolia. With this strong cultural representation, the Mongolian Kazakh population serves as a bridge for Ulaanbaatar to engage with countries such as Turkiye and Kazakhstan, and beyond.
In the most recent example of cultural connections, Mongolia has again participated in the Nomad games of the worldwhose fifth iteration was organized by Kazakhstan in September 2024.
The strategic partnership between Mongolia and Kazakhstan aims to rely on these historical and cultural links already established to extend economic activities between the two countries. The forging of an economic partnership is underway because the two governments aim to navigate the geopolitical landscape rapidly rapidly evolving.
Currently, the trade in Kazakhstan-Mongolia is just finished 150 million dollarsRepresenting a meager 0.5% of the total trade in Mongolia and only 0.1% of Kazakhstan. The strategic partnership plans to stimulate bilateral trade, with the aim of reaching $ 500 million. To this end, Mongolia and Kazakhstan signed a “roadmap to intensify trade and economic cooperation between Mongolia and the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2025-2027” during the visit of Tokayev in Mongolia.
Beyond trade, the two governments seek to promote stronger tourist links and investment cooperation in “agriculture, mining and metallurgy, energy, transport, logistics and finance”. Concept of Kazakhstan Foreign Policy 2020-2030 will play an important role in the Astana Priorrise sectors.
Given the ambition of Mongolia to expand economic relations with traditional and non -traditional partners, Ulaanbaatar’s approach to Kazakhstan also looks at the rest of Central Asia. A strategic partnership with Kazakhstan creates opportunities for stronger bilateral mechanisms with other Central Asian countries as well as the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The EAEU, created in 2015, is a group centered on Russia aimed at increasing economic cooperation. The CUrrent members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia; Cuba, Moldova and Uzbekistan hold the status of observer within the EAEU.
The question of whether Mongolia should sign a free trade agreement (ALE) with the EAEU has sparked a heated debate among decision-makers and national producers. Negotiations began in 2019 but entered a more serious phase in 2024. In a press release to journalists, Tokayev said that Kazakhstan “support[s] The aspiration of Mongolia to continue a free trade agreement with the Eurasian economic union. »» Large companies, however, opposed Mongolia to forge closer links with the group, arguing that it would harm national companies.
Forging economic partnerships with member countries of a bilateral mechanism serves better from the small economy of Mongolia than to establish an ALE on the scale of the EAEU. An influx of products, vegetables, eggs, wheat and flour without a price of EAEU member states would have an impact on the domestic production of Mongolia, and the small manufacture of Mongolia.
However, decision -makers stressed the importance of food security, a hard lesson learned during the pandemic. The supporters of the ALE say that it will guarantee coherent supplies of certain categories of food. The question of the Mongolia-Eaeu FTA remains open and will be discussed during the parliamentary session of spring.
One of the geographic challenges Mongolia and Kazakhstan are faced with is that all trade will have to go through China or Russia. For logistics and access to transport, Kazakhstan and Mongolia plan To build a new highway between the two countries, but will require the approval and cooperation of Russia, through which the road transitra. If it is approved by Moscow, “the route will connect the Kazakh cities of UST-Kamenogorsk and Ridder, as well as the Russian locality of Tuekta in the Republic of Altai, leading to the Mongolian border,” reported Interfax.
These economic initiatives – be it exploration of an ALE with EAEU or the construction of a road between Mongolia and Kazakhstan via Russia – demonstrate Ulaanbaatar’s efforts to extend global links and promote stronger economic relations with various partners. The newly established strategic partnership with Kazakhstan will be an important element in the approach of Ulaan-Batar in Central Asia.
The materialization of these ideas, however, is another question that depends on many mobile variables, including geopolitical changes and government decisions. The connection of Mongolia and Kazakhstan can offer economic advantages to the two countries, but also addresses transnational problems which also involve Russia and China.