On Wednesday 15 February, MEPs approved the conclusion of a framework agreement on cooperation between the European Union and Mongolia, expressing solidarity with the draft report by Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL, Germany).
In the resolution they adopted, MEPs urge the EU to turn the European Union Liaison Office in Ulaanbaatar into a fully-fledged EU Delegation so that diplomatic relations with Mongolia might no longer be run from the EU Delegation to China. Hailing the efforts made by the Mongolian authorities to consolidate the rule of law, the MEPs say that work is still needed on respecting the independence of the country's judicial system.
The EU has become Mongolia's third biggest trading partner, with Mongolian products already entering the European market virtually tariff-free under the current Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP). However, European investment in Mongolia remains limited.
European development aid to Mongolia has more than doubled, rising from €30 million between 2007 and 2013 to €65 million between 2014 and 2020. (MB)