U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs David R. Stilwell and Mongolia State Secretary Ankhbayar led the 2020 Annual Bilateral Consultation (ABC) on September 14. This meeting represents the first ABC since the announcement of the Strategic Partnership between the United States and Mongolia in July. This virtual event underscores the strength of our cooperation and shared values and is an opportunity to reaffirm concrete steps in our bilateral relationship.
Over the course of this year, our respective countries have increased cooperation in multi-lateral fora, including on UN leadership elections. In the security and military sphere our relationship remains active, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States and Mongolia are united in our desire to boost our trade and investment ties and have agreed to an additional upcoming dialogue to solidify the economic partnership.
The United States and Mongolia share a deep commitment to the democratic values enshrined in our respective constitutions, such as human rights, religious freedom, and rule of law. Our bilateral law enforcement cooperation continues to grow, namely on border security and transnational crime. The United States is proud to have successfully trained more than 1,000 Mongolian law enforcement and security personnel in areas such as investigative techniques, contraband interdiction, and anti-money laundering. We have maintained robust people-to-people engagement through a range of in-person and virtual exchange programs. Mongolia's vast and active network of alumni of U.S. programs is a testament to our common values and experiences, and we are proud that so many alumni are leading members of Mongolia's parliament, government, business community, and civil society.
These initiatives show that the U.S.-Mongolia relationship has never been stronger.
