Putin's Interview with the Mongolian Newspaper "Onodor" & Onset of Talks

Here’re the troops sent to arrest Putin as he arrives in Mongolia.

As is becoming somewhat usual, Putin was interviewed by a major newspaper within the nation he’s about to visit, in this case Mongolia’s Onodor newspaper.

Question: During your visit to Mongolia on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory at Khalkhin Gol, you highlighted the long history of mutually beneficial relations and friendship between our countries and signed a comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement. How do you assess the implementation of the agreement? Have there been any changes in relations between our countries over the past two years?

Vladimir Putin: On the eve of my next visit to friendly Mongolia, I would like to share my vision of the history, current state and future of bilateral relations from the pages of your authoritative publication.

I would like to note at once that the development of a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership with Mongolia, our close neighbor and long – standing friend, has always been and remains one of the priorities of Russian foreign policy in the Eurasian direction.

Our states and peoples have been linked by many decades of fruitful cooperation in almost all spheres. Let me remind you that our country was the first in the world to recognize Mongolia's independence in 1921 and for a long time remained the only guarantor of its sovereignty and security. During the critical period for Mongolia in the summer of 1939, the USSR, faithful to its allied duty in accordance with the Protocol on Mutual Assistance of March 12, 1936, immediately responded to the request of the Mongolian government to help repel Japanese aggression on the Khalkhin-Gol River. More than 10 thousand soldiers and commanders of the Red Army gave their lives in the battle for freedom and independence of Mongolia. I would like to take this opportunity to note the noble and selfless mission of Russian and Mongolian volunteers who continue to search for and bury the remains of fallen heroes.

It is symbolic that a new interstate agreement that consolidated bilateral relations at the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership was signed on September 3, 2019 in Ulaanbaatar on the sidelines of events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of our joint victory over Japanese militarists on the Khalkhin Gol River. These days I plan to take part in the next anniversary events in your capital.

Other significant dates that we are celebrating this year are also evidence of our rich and diverse joint history: the 75th anniversary of the creation of the flagship of our economic cooperation-the Ulaanbaatar Railway, the 65th anniversary of the beginning of the development of virgin lands in Mongolia with the assistance of Soviet specialists, and the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Erdenet. And of course, our people remember with gratitude the support that Mongolia gave us during the Great Patriotic War, and keep the memory of the joint victorious battles with the Kwantung Army in the summer of 1945.

Today, Russia and Mongolia are multiplying the priceless traditions of friendship, good neighborliness and mutual assistance. So, this year alone, Russia sent more than eight and a half thousand tons of grain fodder to Mongolian livestock farms affected by severe cold and snowfall, and the Mongolian government allocated financial resources to overcome the consequences of floods in the Urals.

It is important that our bilateral partnership in all key areas is proceeding at a good pace. Political contacts, cooperation in the field of defense and security, interaction between parliaments and through parties and public organizations, humanitarian exchanges, cross-border and interregional ties are developing successfully.

In recent years, we have been working on a number of new promising projects in the economy and industry, including the construction of the trans – Mongolian gas pipeline from Russia to China, modernization and efficiency improvement of the Ulaanbaatar Railway joint venture, Rosneft Corporation's participation in providing a refueling complex at the new Genghis Khan International Airport, and reconstruction of Ulaanbaatar's CHPP-3 with the company's participation Inter RAO-Export.

We always respond to requests from our Mongolian friends for assistance in meeting the growing demand for fuel and lubricants at preferential prices. The relevant intergovernmental agreement is being negotiated.

With Russia's participation, in less than a year we have made significant progress in drafting an interim free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Mongolia, which will allow increasing the supply of goods from your traditional exports to the markets of the Eurasec member states.

I would like to add that we have always paid special attention to training national cadres for Mongolia. This year alone, 620 state-funded places were allocated for Mongolian applicants to study at domestic universities. We know that the interest of your young people in getting Russian education is traditionally high. And of course, it is important that people in Mongolia love and study Russian, and the system of teaching it has been well established over many decades. And this has opened up and continues to open up great opportunities for gaining knowledge, deepening business, scientific and cultural ties with Russia and the CIS countries.

All this and much more are elements of our joint work with our Mongolian friends to implement the provisions of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. I am confident that the constructive cooperation between Russia and Mongolia will become more and more meaningful and multifaceted, and will serve the benefit of our peoples.

Question: During the economic forum held in Davos in January this year, the Prime Minister of Mongolia, L. Oyuun-Erdene, noted the importance of holding a trilateral meeting of Russia, Mongolia and China at the level of heads of state. However, the trilateral meeting was held in July of this year at the level of foreign ministers. Is a trilateral meeting at the level of heads of state possible in the near future?

Vladimir Putin: Ten years ago, my Chinese colleagues and I supported the Mongolian initiative to create a trilateral mechanism for cooperation between Russia, Mongolia and China. On September 11, 2014, the first such summit was held in Dushanbe on the sidelines of a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State.

Over the past years, we have managed to lay a solid foundation for the development of comprehensive mutually beneficial cooperation. In 2015, my colleagues and I approved a corresponding road map covering almost all key areas: politics, economics, science and technology, education and culture, and foreign policy issues. In 2016, at the level of relevant departments, a program was signed to create the China–Mongolia–Russia economic corridor, aimed primarily at maximizing the unique transit potential of your country, creating prerequisites for effective integration of cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Chinese "One Belt, One Road" project and the Mongolian "Steppe Road" program.

After a forced break due to the coronavirus pandemic, our sixth face-to-face summit was held on September 15, 2022 in Samarkand. Since then, due to technical reasons, we have not been able to organize another high-level meeting due to different working schedules. However, we believe that this mechanism is very important and in demand. And Russia, of course, is interested in meaningful work in such a trilateral format.

Question: Will Russia put forward proposals and initiatives aimed at making the economic corridor between Russia, Mongolia and China and the Power of Siberia – 2 gas pipeline project more beneficial for the economy and infrastructure development of Mongolia?

Vladimir Putin: I am convinced that cooperation in a bilateral, and even more so in a trilateral format, can only develop successfully if it is beneficial for all the parties involved.

As you know, the initiative to create the Russia–Mongolia–China economic corridor was initially put forward by the leadership of your country as part of the implementation of the Mongolian Steppe Path program. As one of the achievements, I can note that over the past ten years, the volume of cargo transportation along the Ulaanbaatar Railway has grown by one and a half times and reached a record high of 32.4 million tons in 2023. At the same time, the transportation of transit container cargo between Russia and China through Mongolia has significantly increased.

In recent years, all Mongolian presidents, regardless of their party affiliation, have raised the issue of building a gas pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia. The decision to start preparatory work was made in 2021. A special purpose joint venture, the Soyuz Vostok Gas Pipeline, has been established to carry out design and survey work according to the approved schedule. The development of the Soyuz Vostok gas pipeline project with a length of more than 960 kilometers continues – in January 2022, its feasibility study was approved, the necessary engineering surveys and studies were completed, and the project documentation was completed at the end of December 2023.

By the way, if initially the Mongolian partners wanted to limit themselves only to the transit role, now the possibility of using part of the cheap pipeline gas for the development of your economy and infrastructure is being considered.

Question: As a result of amendments to the Constitution and changes in the electoral system, representatives of four political parties and one coalition were elected to the current Parliament of Mongolia, and the party that won the majority did not establish a single government, but formed a joint government consisting of representatives of three parties. How do you assess this new page in Mongolia's political life?

Vladimir Putin: First of all, I would like to mention the successful holding of the next elections to the Great State Hural in June this year. The electoral process was organized at a very high level – this is confirmed by the Russian observers we sent to Mongolia.

We respect the choice of the Mongolian people. As I recall, this is not the first coalition government in Mongolia. I am confident that the personnel changes will not affect the mutual desire of our countries to further develop a comprehensive strategic partnership and deepen bilateral cooperation.

Question: At present, the issue of freedom of the press is very acute in our country. Russia has also banned the activities of some of the country's media outlets. At the same time, Western countries have banned traditional Russian media and blocked them in social networks. How do you think the balance between press freedom and national security should be maintained?

Vladimir Putin: Indeed, in almost all Western countries where our journalists try to work, various obstacles are put in their way, Russian TV channels are banned, and direct censorship is introduced against our media and Internet information resources. Of course, this is contrary to the democratic principles of freedom of speech and free dissemination of information. Although the only thing that our mass media do is bring the Russian point of view to the actual modern problems and processes taking place in the world in a reasoned manner. They do this respectfully and in compliance with the norms of morality and ethics, as well as the national legislation of a particular country. And in order to hide from inconvenient facts, from truthful information, the West, which considers itself the standard of freedom, has launched outright harassment of Russian correspondents, who are indiscriminately labeled "Kremlin propagandists".

In Russia, the mass media are free. This is firmly guaranteed by the Constitution. We are convinced of the need for pluralism and openness in the information sphere. The authorities interact constructively with TV channels, news agencies, newspapers, Internet portals, and other mass communication organizations, regardless of their editorial policies. The only requirement for them is to comply with Russian legislation. This should be understood by foreign correspondents accredited in our country. In this way, the necessary balance between press freedom and national security, which you mentioned, will be preserved.

Question: Russian athletes were banned from participating in the 2024 Olympic Games under the flag of their country, while Israel was not subject to any restrictions. What do you think is the reason for this differentiated approach?

Vladimir Putin: The current leaders of the International Olympic Committee, acting at the behest of the collective West, and above all the United States, are blatantly flouting the Olympic ideals that they are supposed to defend. Instead of fighting for the rights of athletes, for the integrity and universality of the Olympic movement, they are busy preserving their own status, power and financial well-being.

Our athletes are not allowed to participate in competitions, and national symbols are prohibited. It has reached the point where the words "Russia" and "Russian" are completely canceled at international tournaments. All this blatantly violates the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, which states that it is unacceptable to politicize sports that should unite people, not divide them. Until recently, this has been the reason for the importance of openness and accessibility of the Olympic Games for all athletes, regardless of their nationality, race, ethnicity, or political beliefs.

Russia supports the observance of the political neutrality of sports, recognizes its great role in strengthening humanitarian ties, building mutually respectful communication, and strengthening relations between States and peoples in the spirit of peace and good neighborliness, equality and non-discrimination. Therefore, we will continue to follow the path of democratizing the sports movement, removing far-fetched barriers and restrictions, and expanding the formats of national and international sports events.

Question: You started your interview with the American journalist T. Carlson in February of this year with the history of Russia and modern Ukraine. Speaking about the decisions of previous Russian leaders related to Ukraine, you have repeatedly described them as "incomprehensible". Does this mean that the current situation in relations between Russia and Ukraine arose not only because of external policies, but also because of mistakes in Russia's domestic policy?

Vladimir Putin: The current situation in Ukraine has been significantly influenced by a whole range of external and internal factors. The consequences of the decisions of the Soviet leaders on the national-territorial issue also played a negative role.

Let me remind you that the very process of creating Ukraine began immediately after the 1917 revolution, when unstable and short-lived quasi-state formations without clear borders appeared on this territory. In the future, the borders of the union republics within the USSR were cut quite arbitrarily, based on" proletarian necessity". Thus, the industrial Donbass, populated mainly by Russians, was transferred to Ukraine. Then, on the eve of and after the Great Patriotic War, J. V. Stalin included in Ukraine – as an integral part of the Soviet Union – some lands that previously belonged to Poland, Romania and Hungary. In 1954, N. S. Khrushchev actually gave Ukraine the Crimea, which was part of the RSFSR.

It should be understood that the Soviet leaders acted in the context of the geopolitical realities of their time, not assuming that the USSR would cease to exist and disintegrate along artificially drawn internal administrative borders. Therefore, what is happening now, of course, has its own historical background.

At the same time, the main reason for the current tragedy in Ukraine is the purposeful anti – Russian policy of the collective West led by the United States. For decades, they have sought full control over Ukraine. They financed nationalist and anti-Russian organizations there, systematically instilled the concept that Russia is supposedly the eternal enemy of Ukraine, the main threat to its existence. In fact, Ukraine has become a bargaining chip in realizing the geopolitical ambitions of the West.

In 2014, the Americans and their satellites organized an armed coup in Ukraine. Its ideologues and main participants were radical neo-Nazi groups, which later began to determine the entire state course of Kiev. For many years, millions of civilians in Donbass were subjected to genocide, shelling and blockade by the Kiev regime. In Ukraine, hatred of everything Russian has become the official ideology. New restrictions were imposed on the Russian language, canonical Orthodoxy was persecuted, and now even outright baned.

Today we are witnessing a natural outcome of the West's destructive strategy towards Ukraine. Moreover, Western elites continue to provide large-scale political, financial and military support to the current regime, considering it as a tool for fighting Russia. We see all this and will continue to consistently fulfill all the tasks set as part of a special military operation to ensure the security of Russia and our citizens. [My Emphasis]

It appears that Russia intends to put more energy into its relations with Mongolia, but at the same time Mongolians need to be more determinative regarding their own development. It will be interesting to see how the state visit unfolds. Here’s the Kremlin’s readout about the expected events:

At the invitation of the President Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukha Vladimir Putin has arrived with an official visit to Mongolia to participate in the celebrations dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the joint victory of the Soviet and Mongolian armed forces over the Japanese militarists on the Khalkhin-Gol River.

During the negotiations, the heads of the will discuss the prospects for the further development of Russian-Mongolian relations of comprehensive strategic partnership, will exchange views on topical international and regional problems.

It is planned to sign a number of bilateral documents.

There are also Vladimir Putin's talks with Chairman of the State Ih Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia D. Amarbayasgalan and the Prime Minister of Mongolia L. Oyun-Erdene.

Sometimes the photos of the formal arrival are better than the content provided for the talks in the restricted format. So, a few of the 33 photos and then the usual greetings prior to the secretive talks:

Not certain who’s in the big chair, although Genghis Khan would be my guess.

Some will recall the Cone of Silence from either Dune of Get Smart.

Inside the Royal Yurt.

Note the long bow and arrows behind Putin. Mongolians love their colors.

The following was said for the cameras:

Ukhnaagiyn Khurelsukhom: We are very pleased that you, the highly respected President of the Russian Federation, have once again paid a visit to our country.

This year, we have had several anniversaries that characterize the stages of development of our relations between our countries: the 85th anniversary of the joint victory in the battle of Khalkhin Gol River, as well as the 75th anniversary of the establishment of our joint Mongolian-Russian Ulaanbaatar Railway, 65 years since we began to develop jointly. It is 50 years since the city of Erdenet was established, including on the basis of the joint mining and processing plant "Erdenet".

In 2019, when we celebrated together the 80th anniversary of our joint victory in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, you and our President signed an Agreement on Friendly Relations and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the fifth anniversary of which we can also celebrate this year.

We are very happy that in such a year of rich anniversaries you are visiting our country again and together with us you will celebrate the 85th anniversary of the joint victory in the battle on the Khalkhin Gol River. All our people perceive this as a tribute to this event. We are very happy and sincerely grateful to you for taking the time to visit our country.

This year, in June, the next elections to our parliament were held – the Great State Hural. This is the first parliamentary election since we introduced the relevant amendments and additions to our Constitution. The main change is that if earlier we had 76 members of Parliament, now we have 126. And we are also proud that of these 126 members of Parliament, 25 percent are women who have become members of Parliament.

Representatives of four parties and one union entered the parliament, and on the basis of this, we created a coalition, joint government. The Prime Minister of our party, who was Prime Minister for the previous four years, has now been re-elected Prime Minister, and a new person has been appointed Chairman of the Great State Hural.

Politically, we are in a stable political environment. We recently submitted to the Parliament and approved the main directions of the Government's activities for the next four years.

Over the past four or five years, our countries and peoples have jointly overcome the difficulties that have befallen us in this period. This is, for example, the covid epidemic, and also-based on this-in our economic situation, there were corresponding difficulties in the situation.

During the covid-19 period, our economy experienced negative growth: it fell by 4.5 percent. And recently, last year, the real growth of our economy was seven percent. The volume of foreign trade has doubled. If earlier the inflation rate was 17 percent, now it has dropped to five percent. And in this regard, over the past one or two years, the real incomes of our population and citizens have increased.

Both our society, the Government – and the state-we have always sought and are striving to ensure the further development of our comprehensive strategic partnership. This is a priority area of our foreign state policy. Our relations have intensified in recent years: several mutual visits were carried out both at the highest and at the highest level.

Our main mechanism that regulates our relations is the Mongolian-Russian intergovernmental commission, which held its 25th meeting. Our intergovernmental commission is very active, and they coordinate their efforts. Even based on the results of their activities, we can say that our trade and economic cooperation has intensified, which has ensured economic growth.

We view your current visit as a visit of great importance: it will further develop our strategic and comprehensive partnership, as well as develop our comprehensive trade and economic cooperation, and, of course, bring significant prosperity and prosperity to our peoples.

That is why I would like to wish you to feel well and wish you a pleasant stay in our country, and once again thank you for the fact that we will celebrate our historic anniversary together.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Dear Mr. Khurelsukh,

First of all, I would like to thank you for the invitation.

Indeed, it has become a good tradition: almost every five years we meet in Mongolia to celebrate outstanding and bright events in our common history.

You have already listed the dates that we celebrate this year. All of them are significant for both Russia and Mongolia. The only thing I would like to add is that the Erdenet you mentioned was planned by architects from Leningrad.

I am also pleased to note that our relations are already developing on a new basis and, despite all the difficulties, including those you mentioned, the covid – 19 history, we have nevertheless reached the trajectory of growth in trade relations and trade turnover.

Indeed, relations are developing in all directions. In addition to the economy and the political sphere, where we also cooperate quite actively, I would also like to note the effective work in the humanitarian sphere, in particular in the field of education.

The Intergovernmental Commission is actively working, and the results are there. In the course of our work today, we will certainly repeatedly return to the main areas of our cooperation in the field of economics.

I would like to conclude my opening remarks by inviting you to Kazan, Russia, where we will host the BRICS summit this year. This will be the first event of this level after the expansion of this organization. I hope you will take part in the BRICS Outreach – BRICS Plus format.

We are waiting for you in Russia.

(as translated) At.Khurelsukh: Thank you. I accept your invitation.

A good summary provided by President Khurelsukh. Only 3.5 million people live in Mongolia, the least dense of any nation, with half living in Ulaanbaatar.

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