Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh visited Japan from February 28 to March 5, with the core goal of deepening cooperation between the two countries in various fields such as politics, economics, and security. Her visit builds on the joint statement signed by the leaders of the two countries in 2022, which launched a “Special Strategic Partnership.” Since then, Japan and Mongolia have been aiming to bring bilateral cooperation from the conceptual level into the realm of concrete actions.
During her visit, Battsetseg met with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa, and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi. She also met with a wide range of other important figures, including the Japanese Imperial Household Agency grand master of ceremonies, former Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, as well as Nippon Foundation Chairman Sasakawa Yohei and President of the Japanese Red Cross Society Atsushi Seike.
The representatives of Japan and Mongolia exchanged views on international issues such as the situation in Ukraine. Japan also sought understanding and cooperation on the issue of North Korea’s abduction issue of Japanese people and gained support from Battsetseg. The foreign ministers of the two countries signed relevant documents on cooperation to address air pollution.
As part of the visit, on March 1, the Mongolian foreign minister visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and laid flowers at the memorial monument for the victims of the atomic bomb explosion. Battsetseg held an official meeting with Hiroshima Governor Yuzaki Hidehiko, and the Mongolian delegation also visited Hiroshima University and met with the university’s president. Battsetseg praised the active exchanges and cooperation of Hiroshima University with Mongolian universities, including the establishment of the Center of Mongolian Studies in Ulaanbaatar.
On March 3, the United Nations University (UNU), in partnership with the Embassy of Mongolia in Japan, co-hosted the symposium “Women, Peace and Security: Mongolia, a Feminist-oriented Foreign Policy.” Battsetseg delivered the keynote address, a reflection on Mongolia’s long history of championing gender equality, both at home and globally.
The core objective of the Mongolian foreign minister’s visit to Japan this time is to strengthen strategic mutual trust between Mongolia and Japan through security cooperation and high-level interaction, while using economic cooperation as a link to promote the deep binding of Mongolia’s “third neighbor” policy with Japan’s Indo Pacific vision.
Mongolia, as a landlocked country sandwiched between the two major powers of China and Russia, has a unique geopolitical environment. For a long time, Mongolia has relied on China and Russia in many aspects, especially trade and transport. In order to mitigate the risks brought by this dependence, Mongolia has implemented a “third neighbor” policy since the 1990s, which saw Ulaanbaatar actively expand diplomatic relations with other countries, with Japan being one of its key partners.
In 2022, which marked the 50th anniversary of Japan-Mongolia diplomatic relations, the two countries elevated their bilateral relations to the new level of a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity.” In August 2024, the two countries started coordinating on a Defense Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement, making security cooperation one of the key topics of Battsetseg’s visit this time.
Mongolia hopes to leverage Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) to vigorously promote domestic infrastructure construction. For example, Japan is funding the expansion project at Chinggis Khaan International Airport, which Mongolia hopes will not only improve the airport’s operational capacity, but also enhance overall connectivity with the outside world. Through such infrastructure construction cooperation, Mongolia aims to reduce its economic dependence on China and Russia, build a more diversified economic development model, and enhance its own economic autonomy and resilience.
In the field of security, Mongolia hopes to acquire advanced defense equipment and technology through deep cooperation with Japan. The proposed defense equipment technology transfer agreement in 2024 is an important step for Mongolia toward this goal. Faced with the complex and ever-changing geopolitical situation, Mongolia hopes to leverage external forces to enhance its military capabilities, strengthen its national defense and security autonomy, and better respond to potential security threats.
Although Japan and Mongolia are geographically far apart, Japan regards Mongolia as an important part of its Indo-Pacific strategy. In particular, Japan fully supports Mongolia’s democratic transformation and development process through economic assistance and security cooperation. By supporting Mongolia, Japan is attempting to expand its influence in Central Asia and create favorable conditions for promoting its vision of a “free and open Indo Pacific.”
Japan plans to assist Mongolia in enhancing its military capabilities through official security assistance (OSA) and the transfer of defense equipment, thereby guiding Mongolia to reduce its dependence on China and Russia. This measure is not only in line with Japan’s own security interests, but also contributes to Japan’s strategic layout in Northeast Asia. By influencing Mongolia’s geopolitical tendencies, Japan plays a greater role in the regional power balance and enhances its strategic position.
Mongolia has abundant mineral resources and a huge demand for infrastructure construction, which provides a broad market space for Japanese companies. Through ODA and Economic Partnership Agreements, Japan can create more investment opportunities for Japanese companies in Mongolia, expand overseas markets, gain economic benefits, and promote domestic economic development.
Battsetseg’s visit was just the start of what promises to be a banner year for Japan-Mongolia relations. As discussed during her meeting with the Japanese Imperial Household Agency’s grand master of ceremonies, Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are expected to visit Mongolia in July 2025. Naruhito previously visited Mongolia in 2007, when he was the crown prince.
This visit, at the invitation of the Mongolian government, coincides with the largest traditional festival in Mongolia, the Naadam Festival. At the same time, 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and thus mourning activities will be held during the visit, especially in front of a monument commemorating the approximately 14,000 Japanese people who were detained by the former Soviet Union after World War II and died in Mongolia on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar.
Battsetseg’s visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum should also be viewed against this broader context as the world gears up to remember the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings in Japan.
For Mongolia, the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end will require some deft geopolitical balancing, as Russia and China will be holding major commemoration events. In mid-February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia on May 9, coinciding with Victory Day, while Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China from late August to early September on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan. Mongolian leaders have also been invited to participate in the events in both Beijing and Moscow.
In 2015, China held events on September 3 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victory in the anti-fascist war and the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan. At that time, Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia was invited to visit China for the events, and the Mongolian military also sent 75 soldiers to participate in the military parade. In 2015 and 2020 the Mongolian armed forces also participated in Moscow’s Red Square victory parades commemorating the 70th and 75th anniversaries of the victory in World War II. In 2021, Mongolia troops again took part to celebrate not only Victory Day but also the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Mongolia.
On the special occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the visit of the Japanese emperor to the memorial monument in Ulaanbaatar to mourn the victims of World War II reflects Japan’s responsibility toward history. This move aims to convey a message of peace and reconciliation to the international community, which will help shape Japan’s image as a responsible major power.
The participation of the Japanese emperor in the Naadam Festival ceremony also demonstrates Japan’s respect for Mongolian culture. Japan aims to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, further consolidate public support for friendly relations, and promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.
The Japanese emperor’s upcoming visit to Mongolia thus serves several purposes at once: cultural exchange, historical commemoration, and diplomatic deepening, while also having geopolitical significance.
Previously, Emperor Naruhito had visited the United Kingdom (in 2022 and 2024) and Indonesia (in 2023), with each trip reflecting Japan’s efforts to enhance key international relationships. His trip to Mongolia will be a continuation of this tradition and is set to inject new vitality into Japan-Mongolia relations.
