[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
[November 21, 2005]
[Pages 1758-1760]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Joint Statement Between Mongolia and the United States of America
November 21, 2005

    President George W. Bush and President Nambaryn Enkhbayar today reaffirmed the longstanding friendship between 
the United

[[Page 1759]]

States of America and Mongolia and committed to defining guiding 
principles and expanding the framework of the comprehensive partnership 
between their two democratic countries based on shared values and common 
strategic interests, as declared in the Joint Presidential Statement of 
July 15, 2004.
    On behalf of the American people, President Bush expressed his 
appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy and generous financial 
assistance from the government and people of Mongolia for the victims of 
Hurricane Katrina. President Bush welcomed Mongolia's progress toward 
becoming a mature and stable democracy, which observes human rights and 
civil liberties, and a private sector-led free market economy.
    He congratulated the people of Mongolia, on behalf of the American 
people, for qualifying for eligibility for the Millennium Challenge 
Account, and looked forward to the successful conclusion of a Compact 
that will reduce poverty through economic growth and reflect the 
Government of Mongolia's commitment to continued political and economic 
reform. Mindful of the role that rule of law, good governance, 
transparency, and public sector accountability play in building 
democracy and prosperity, the two presidents welcomed Mongolia's recent 
ratification of the UN Convention Against Corruption.
    The two presidents agreed to work together to facilitate Mongolia's 
participation in regional and international political, economic and 
financial structures. They also agreed to enhance their cooperation 
against all forms of organized, transnational crime, to include 
trafficking in people, counterfeiting, money-laundering, and terrorist 
financing. President Bush welcomed Mongolia's support for the 
Proliferation Security Initiative to halt the spread of weapons of mass 
destruction (WMD) and for its commitment to sign and ratify the UN 
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
    The two presidents reviewed the work being conducted under the Trade 
and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) to promote bilateral trade and 
investment, and expressed the hope that this will lead to a closer 
bilateral economic and trade relationship.
    Recognizing the potential threat to human health posed by avian and 
other forms of influenza, the two presidents agreed on the importance of 
bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the International Partnership 
on Avian and Pandemic Influenza.
    President Bush and President Enkhbayar underscored their strong commitment to fight 
terrorism, which undermines international peace and security. President 
Bush applauded Mongolia's participation in the stabilization and 
reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq, including its peacekeeping 
commitment to the Multinational Force in Iraq. The United States and 
Mongolia agreed to continue working to advance Mongolia's contribution 
to international peace support efforts.
    They also agreed that the establishment of a free, democratic Iraq 
is important to democracy, peace and stability in the Middle East and 
the United Nations should play a leading role in the process. The two 
leaders underlined the importance of multilateral cooperation and, in 
this context, agreed on the need to pursue reform of the United Nations 
as a means to improving its effectiveness. President Bush and President 
Enkhbayar also emphasized the importance 
of implementing the September 2005 Joint Statement on the 
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, issued by the members of the 
Six Party Talks.
    The two presidents affirmed the value of educational and cultural 
exchanges to enhance understanding between the citizens of the two 
countries and agreed to promote people-to-people exchanges and 
educational cooperation. President Bush also expressed

[[Page 1760]]

appreciation for the ratification of the bilateral International School 
of Ulaanbaatar Agreement which will help to ensure the availability of 
high quality, U.S.-accredited education for its students. The presidents 
noted the successful and positive contribution of the Peace Corps 
program in Mongolia.
    The two presidents stated their expectations for the continued and 
steady growth of the U.S.-Mongolia relationship, based on mutual respect 
and equitable partnership, and reaffirmed that such growth will be in 
the national interest of both countries.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.