Beyond political and cultural relations, Ulaanbaatar and Paris have built up robust cooperation in civil security and disaster relief.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Mongolia and France’s establishment of diplomatic ties. In the last six decades, the expansion of this bilateral partnership has engulfed tangible and assessable cooperation mechanisms. Beyond political and cultural relations, Ulaanbaatar and Paris have build a robust cooperation mechanism in civil security and disaster relief management.  
In June, the French Academy of Medical Sciences Foundation, France’s General Directorate for Civil Security and Crisis Management, and Mongolia’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) co-organized a two-day training as part of the France-Mongolia 60th anniversary. The joint training focused on rapid response to disaster relief included airlifting with NEMA’s Air Rescue Unit 111 – Mongolia’s first joint air ambulance training. The training encompassed over 100 medical and emergency response professionals from Mongolia.
While such civil security cooperation projects began in 2010, the French government began to initiative emergency response trainings in Mongolia during the 1990s, while also providing assistance to hospitals in rural areas. 
In 2010, the Disaster Management Agency of France and Mongolia’s NEMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which financed the partnership through a soft loan and private-public partnership, laying the foundation for joint efforts in disaster risk management. The agreement also included a capacity building element, under which France would provide 12 helicopters, 12 mechanics, and French professionals to provide training for emergency response medical teams. 
In 2019, the governments of Mongolia and France signed a 30-year soft loans for 57.9 million euros, which secured the delivery of three helicopters, 42 specialized fire trucks, and the establishment of an aerial search and rescue unit in Mongolia. 
The emergency response cooperation between Mongolia and France continued without interruption despite the COVID-19 pandemic and a change in personnel. The 2019 deal was signed during the tenure of Philippe Merlin as France’s ambassador to Mongolia. Sebastien Surun, Merlin’s successor, received the emergency response vehicles and helicopters in 2022. That same year, the first evacuation rescue mission was completed with one of the new helicopters. 
Identifying the successful cooperation and the implementation of the agreement, Ambassador of Mongolia to France Nyamkhuu Ulambayar told The Diplomat, “Between 2020 and 2023, this aerial search and rescue unit responded to 157 emergency calls and rescued over 200 individuals. A second phase launched in 2024 focuses on advanced training and additional equipment to further build operational independence.”
“Our cooperation with Mongolia’s National Emergency Management Agency is ground-breaking,” Surun, who is now France’s deputy ambassador in Ukraine, highlighted in an interview with Bolor Lkhaajav. In the same interview, he announced that “this year, we will have a civil security officer based in Ulaanbaatar. We want to take our cooperation in emergency management to the next level.”
Mongolia’s NEMA has been working toward further strengthening and expanding cooperation mechanisms with France’s General Directorate for Civil Security and Crisis Management.
In 2023, during President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa’s state visit to France, a financial agreement was signed to continue financing France-Mongolia emergency response programs, and the two sides agreed that France would provide additional training for the Air Search and Rescue Unit. 
Following the agreement, in 2024, the head of NEMA, director of Fire Fighting Department, and directors of the Air Search and Rescue Unit all visited France and signed technical agreements that aimed to contract French companies to deliver the firefighting vehicles and technical equipment that will ensure rescue operations are completed properly. One of the highlights of this meeting was a deal on constructing a new helicopter base. 
According to NEMA, the emergency and disaster relief sector has received robust support from a wide range of global partners, including Russia, China, South Korea, Japan, the United States, France, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. 
On a multilateral level, Mongolia seeks a deeper cooperation with international organizations such as the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. 
Mongolia’s global partnerships have helped expand these relationships, and NEMA units have participated in global disaster relief efforts. A Mongolian search and rescue K-9 unit worked in Turkiye in 2023 in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake that killed around 55,000 people.  
The advancement of Mongolia’s emergency response mechanism also correlates to the increase in international tourism to Mongolia. As more tourists immerse themselves in nomadic activities in remote locations, having a robust emergency response unit is critically important for Mongolia’s civil security sector. A spokesperson for Mongolia’s NEMA told The Diplomat that the Air Search and Rescue Unit has saved “the lives of 210 people, including 157 adults and 53 children,” since cooperation with France began. 
Looking ahead, cooperation between Mongolia and France will likely to expand – not only in mining, education, and culture, but also capacity building in civil security, particularly in emergency response.
BY
Bolor Lkhaajav
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:2025-07-22