The office of the President of Mongolia, Public Relations & Communications Division

www.president.mn

2011-06-17

President Elbegdorj: Freedom Is the Most Powerful Weapon

One of the important meetings that took place during the official visit of the President of Mongolia, Tsakhia Elbegdorj to the U.S.A is the roundtable meeting organized by the U.S.-Mongolia Friendship Group at the U.S. Congress and “House Democracy Partnership” program. Joseph Pitts, Chairman of the U.S.-Mongolia Group at the Congress established U.S.-Mongolia Friendship Group in 2004. The group is influential and active to developing bilateral friendship and cooperation, influencing big political decisions, expanding business ties, working to support investments, taking certain measures in expanding educational and cultural relations.

For example, on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the establishment of the Great Mongolian State in 2006, the group initiated and the Congress passed Resolution No.828 appealing to support the efforts to strengthening bilateral strategic, political and economic relations. U.S.-Mongolia Group at the U.S. Congress has 27 members.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Pitts highlighted “Mr.President, the U.S. Congress always supports your deeds and efforts to respecting human rights, consolidating democracy, and supporting the rule of law. We are delighted that you consider us as your “third neighbor.” You Mongolians have many friends, nonetheless we would like to be your best friends.”

“President Elbegdorj, Congratulations for your decisions to protect human rights, increase civil participation in decision making, and protect environment after you were elected as the President of Mongolia. The decisions attract international attentions.” He mentioned the establishment of the Citizens’ Hall under the President of Mongolia and read an excerpt from President Elbegdorj’s congratulatory letter to Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the occasion of her release from house detention by the Government of Myanmar.

Participants asked from President Elbegdorj regarding the success of Mongolia’s democracy, foreign policy, judicial reform in Mongolia and his own personal success story. Particularly, they asked about the means of him starting and strengthening Mongolia’s democracy that became an example for other countries.

President Elbegdorj expressed appreciation to the USA for supporting Mongolia to realize a democratic and open society. “Many people ask from us that how the transition was made from one society to the other one in a peaceful way. It is amazing that 20 years ago the authorities of Mongolia sat down on the negotiation table with the youth those were organizing demonstrations expressing the willingness to have freedom for Mongolians, freedom of expressions, speech, press and private properties and reached the consensus. We Mongolians did not use force, did not break a window, we only made peaceful demonstrations and discussed and reached a consensus and based on the consensus we conducted a democratic Parliamentary election and adopted a new democratic Constitution after that,” President Elbegdorj talked.
“In addition, it is unique that we made economic reform simultaneously with the political one” and he briefly talked about his policy and directions to consolidating democracy.

Around 100 people including Senators, Congressmen, scholars, politicians, journalists and reporters participated in the meeting which took place in the Capitol Hill.