Mongolia – New Zealand Relations

Mongolia-and-New-Zealand

Mongolia and New Zealand established diplomatic relations on 8 April 1975.

In August 2008 the Governor General of New Zealand, the Honourable Anand Satyanand made New Zealand’s first State Visit to Mongolia. In March 2007, then Chairman of the State Great Hural (Speaker of Mongolia’s Parliament) Mr Nyamdorj Tsend visited New Zealand as a guest of the New Zealand Parliament. In 2003, Mongolia hosted the Fifth International Conference on New or Restored Democracies, and the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon Phil Goff, attended and spoke at this conference. In 1997, President Ochirbat Punsalmaa visited New Zealand, which was the first visit by a Mongolian Head of State.

New Zealand is perhaps best known in Mongolian government circles for providing the model for its public sector reform. The Mongolian Public Sector Finance and Administration Law was largely influenced by the New Zealand experience and New Zealand expertise was accessed by the ADB and World Bank to work on projects assisting the Mongolian government with implementation.

Mongolia and New Zealand share common views on a range of issues of importance to New Zealand, including disarmament and the environment. Over the past decade we have been partners on human rights issues, working together in international and regional forums such as the Asia Pacific Framework for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. We also work together in the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Some modest New Zealand official aid programmes remain in Mongolia. Small numbers of Mongolian officials participate in the English Language Training for Officials (ELTO) programme each year. Through this programme, many of Mongolia’s young diplomats and other civil servants have studied in New Zealand for seven-month periods at one time or another. A small Head of Mission grants fund is administered from the Beijing Embassy and Mongolian projects are able to access the regional contestable fund, the Asia Development Assistance Facility (ADAF).

There is no resident Ambassador of Mongolia in New Zealand. Ambassadors are accredited from Canberra, Australia to New Zealand. His Excellency Mr Ravdan Bold presented his credentials to the Lt Gen Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae, Governor-General of New Zealand on 27 February 2013.

Trade volume between Mongolia and New Zealand has been around 10-18 mln in last five years (2008-2013). Mongolia imported around 13-14 mln USD worth of dairy products from New Zealand (2013).

New Zealand’s direct investment to Mongolia accumulates 7,3 mln USD as of 1990-2012. There are around 10 New Zealand companies are operating in Mongolia, mostly in mining, agriculture sector.