On May 9, 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed the establishment of a European Coal and Steel Community. This day is celebrated in Europe as 'Europe Day', as this political cooperation was intended to make war between nations unthinkable and marked the birth of the European Union.
Event
Europe Day 2024 in Ulaanbaatar
A view towards the west
On Saturday, May 11, Europe Day was celebrated at Sükhbaatar Square, where the Hanns Seidel Foundation was also present. Despite a small delay, more than 70 exhibition stands of European embassies, international organizations, NGOs and companies came together at Sükhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar to celebrate Europe and provide a variety of useful information. Why Mongolia of all places? Well, despite being a landlocked country between only two authoritarian neighbors, Mongolia remains democratic. It takes a neutral position and emphasizes the importance of peaceful relations, especially with its immediate neighbors. At the same time, however, it also emphasizes the policy of third- neighbourhood. This dynamic was also noticeable at 'Europe Day 2024'. Interest in travel to Europe and its institutions and organizations remains strong. Both the EU and its member states are seeking good relations with Mongolia and are working to achieve this.
Countering dependencies
Although Mongolia is heavily dependent on its direct neighbors China and Russia, it nevertheless aims to cooperate closely with third countries in Europe and the EU. Today, the EU is the largest donor of development aid to Mongolia and supports projects for sustainable development, environmental protection, the rule of law and combating climate change. A partnership and cooperation agreement has been in place since 2010, which aims to further expand political dialog. There are also exchange programs for students and intensive cooperation between scientists, all of which are highly focused on.
