For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 21, 2005

Joint Statement Between Mongolia and the United States of America

President George W. Bush and President Nambaryn Enkhbayar today reaffirmed the longstanding friendship between the United States of America and Mongolia and committed to defining guiding principles and expanding the framework of the comprehensive partnership between their two democratic countries based on shared values and common strategic interests, as declared in the Joint Presidential Statement of July 15, 2004.

On behalf of the American people, President Bush expressed his appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy and generous financial assistance from the government and people of Mongolia for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. President Bush welcomed Mongolia's progress toward becoming a mature and stable democracy, which observes human rights and civil liberties, and a private sector-led free market economy.

He congratulated the people of Mongolia, on behalf of the American people, for qualifying for eligibility for the Millennium Challenge Account, and looked forward to the successful conclusion of a Compact that will reduce poverty through economic growth and reflect the Government of Mongolia's commitment to continued political and economic reform. Mindful of the role that rule of law, good governance, transparency, and public sector accountability play in building democracy and prosperity, the two presidents welcomed Mongolia's recent ratification of the UN Convention Against Corruption.

The two presidents agreed to work together to facilitate Mongolia's participation in regional and international political, economic and financial structures. They also agreed to enhance their cooperation against all forms of organized, transnational crime, to include trafficking in people, counterfeiting, money-laundering, and terrorist financing. President Bush welcomed Mongolia's support for the Proliferation Security Initiative to halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and for its commitment to sign and ratify the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

The two presidents reviewed the work being conducted under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) to promote bilateral trade and investment, and expressed the hope that this will lead to a closer bilateral economic and trade relationship.

Recognizing the potential threat to human health posed by avian and other forms of influenza, the two presidents agreed on the importance of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza.

President Bush and President Enkhbayar underscored their strong commitment to fight terrorism, which undermines international peace and security. President Bush applauded Mongolia's participation in the stabilization and reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq, including its peacekeeping commitment to the Multinational Force in Iraq. The United States and Mongolia agreed to continue working to advance Mongolia's contribution to international peace support efforts.

They also agreed that the establishment of a free, democratic Iraq is important to democracy, peace and stability in the Middle East and the United Nations should play a leading role in the process. The two leaders underlined the importance of multilateral cooperation and, in this context, agreed on the need to pursue reform of the United Nations as a means to improving its effectiveness. President Bush and President Enkhbayar also emphasized the importance of implementing the September 2005 Joint Statement on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, issued by the members of the Six Party Talks.

The two presidents affirmed the value of educational and cultural exchanges to enhance understanding between the citizens of the two countries and agreed to promote people-to-people exchanges and educational cooperation. President Bush also expressed appreciation for the ratification of the bilateral International School of Ulaanbaatar Agreement which will help to ensure the availability of high quality, U.S.-accredited education for its students. The presidents noted the successful and positive contribution of the Peace Corps program in Mongolia.

The two presidents stated their expectations for the continued and steady growth of the U.S.- Mongolia relationship, based on mutual respect and equitable partnership, and reaffirmed that such growth will be in the national interest of both countries. # # #