No prime minister, no problem: Mongolia’s 10th International Conference on Northeast Asian Security proceeded as planned.
Mongolia hosted the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) on Northeast Asian Security in Ulaanbaatar from June 5-6. This year’s dialogue was surrounded by domestic political turmoil – the ousting of Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai last week and the search for a replacement, with Zandanshatar Gombojav just nominated. Yet despite the circumstances, the UBD demonstrated continuity in Mongolia’s foreign policy and its broader aim to be engaged in matters of global affairs. 
On June 5, Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh opened the 10th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue, also known as the International Conference on Northeast Asian Security. In her opening remarks, Battsetseg highlighted Mongolia’s presence in regional and global affairs, and said that its peaceful foreign policy and diplomatic approaches aim to establish confidence-building and peacekeeping between conflicting parties. 
Battsetseg expanded on the purpose of the the UBD. As one of Northeast Asia’s important international conferences, she said, scholars, academics, and researchers can openly discuss and engage in fruitful dialogue on challenging topics, while seeking a peaceful resolution to these challenges. 
This year’s UBD gathered over 230 scholars and experts from 40 countries. In comparison to the previous year’s UBD, this year saw participation of some new partners, such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Philippines, and Iceland. 
The Philippines ambassador to China, James FlorCruz, who is also the country’s non-resident ambassador to Mongolia, spoke at the UBD. “We are committed to deepening these bilateral relationships while upholding our core principles of sovereignty, independence, and the peaceful settlement of disputes,” he said. As Mongolia and the Philippines have been strengthening bilateral ties, the participation of FlorCruz in the UBD was a boost to the two countries’ bilateral relations.
FlorCruz highlighted, “For the Philippines, fostering peaceful and stable relations with all nations in Northeast Asia – including China, Japan, Mongolia, and the two Koreas – is a matter of strategic interest.”  
In addition to round table discussions the UBD offers platforms and opportunities for sideline engagements. For instance, the director of Institute of Strategic Studies under the National Security Council of Mongolia, Mendee Jargalsaikhan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Uzbekistan-based International Institute for Central Asia, headed by Javlon Vakhabov, to expand their partnership. 
Mongolia’s hosting of the UBD amid political unrest shed light on the importance of the country’s foreign policy – and the need for continuity. Sandwiched between two large powers, Russia and China, Mongolian diplomacy must always be active and engaged with its neighbors, but also beyond. Simply put, Mongolia cannot afford to have its foreign policy derailed by political instability at home.
Since Mongolia’s democratization in 1991, its governments, especially the prime minister’s office, has been extremely unstable, yet Mongolia’s foreign policy direction has not wavered. Other than disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UBD has become an annual strategic platform for Ulaanbaatar to gather experts representing multiple and diverse perspectives.  
The 2025 Ulaabaatar Dialogue centered on five main themes: 1) security challenges and opportunities in Northeast Asia, 2) multilateral cooperation in Northeast Asia, 3) climate change and security challenges, 4) regional cooperation between Northeast Asia and Central Asia, and 5) energy challenges and climate change in Northeast Asia.
As Mongolia will be hosting COP17 for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 2026, the UBD put a special focus on climate issues. 
Despite the United States withdrawing from many climate agreements and multilateral agreements that would have guaranteed both financial and moral support for Mongolia’s commitment to address climate change, Ulaanbaatar’s other partners – in Asia, Europe, and now the Middle East – remain optimistic about such global outreach and partnerships. 
The UBD serves as a mechanism for Mongolia to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations. In this year’s context, the dialogue created space for countries to seek cooperation mechanisms to tackle climate change.
Mongolia’s third neighbor partnerships, particularly with South Korea and Japan, can be augmented in the area of climate change. South Korea’s commitment to invest $1.9 billion in green technology aims to support the country’s ambitious goal to become carbon neutral by 2050. South Korea’s commitment to renewable energy and technological advancement is a major incentive for Ulaanbaatar to incorporate those advantages in its own fight against climate change.
Similarly, in Japan, according to the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change, “investors are increasingly committed to setting 2030 or 2035 emissions reduction targets.” China, too, has set a goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Combining Japan, China, and South Korea’s investment potential in climate change and green funds, Mongolia certainly has the opportunity to attract investments from Asian partners even as the U.S. withdraws from this space. 
As Mongolia continues its international commitment to combating climate change, domestically, it is already experiencing the impact. The need to tackle climate change has become a multilevel challenge, which requires policymakers to understand the full complexity of the problem. At a policy level, the legislative branch as well as the executive branch will need to implement policies and allocate financial resources to climate change issues. In these efforts, the UBD serves as a platform to learn from others, and hopefully inspire and attract investment in sectors that are prone to climate change impact.
By
Bolor Lkhaajav is a researcher specializing in Mongolia, China, Russia, Japan, East Asia, and the Americas. She holds an M.A. in Asia-Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco.

Published Date:2025-06-13