After returning from the G7 summit, Emmanuel Macron made a trip to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, a first for a French president.
After the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Emmanuel Macron will not return directly to Paris. He has to make a small detour via Mongolia, a landlocked country between China and Russia. This is the first-ever visit by a French President to Ulaanbaatar in history.
Emmanuel Macron, who will only be in Mongolia on Sunday evening, will meet with President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene. “The fact that Mongolia is on its way back allows us to give a very special meaning to this historic event,” said the French President’s entourage.
The objectives of this visit are multiple: first, in the context of the war in Ukraine and the will of France, but also of the other G7 countries, to persuade the countries that have not spoken out against Russia to support Kiev. This visit is therefore of “very important importance” on a “geo-strategic level” in order to “relax the constraint exerted on Russia’s neighbors and allow them to choose their options”.
This visit also addresses economic aspects: the aim is to encourage foreign investment in Mongolia, especially in the fight against global warming, since the country is particularly vulnerable due to its semi-desert climate. Mongolia, too, relies on coal for 90% of its electricity generation and is struggling to decarbonize its economy. This country is therefore part of the “strategy of diversification of European supplies to ensure our energy sovereignty”, according to the Elysée.
In addition, Mongolian territory is also coveted by the US, which wants to increase its influence there to counter that of China. Currently, 86% of Mongolian exports go to the People’s Republic. The Elysée Palace has therefore announced its intention to strengthen bilateral relations with Mongolia in various areas, particularly agriculture, agri-food, ecological transition and civil security.