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Czech Relations with Mongolia

06.11.2023 / 08:34 | Aktualizováno: 07.11.2023 / 05:07

Czechia is one of the most traditional partners of Mongolia, having established diplomatic relations since 1950 as the fourth country in the world and soon becoming Mongolia’s second largest trading partner. Prague implemented a number of projects that still have significant importance and visibility nowadays. Its geologists helped to discover the giant copper and molybdenum deposit mine in Erdenet (now 13.5% GDP), invested in other mines (tungsten, tin or fluorite), lead comprehensive geological mapping projects, build the „1st Hospital“, still the largest in Mongolia, and helped to establish a whole range of industries (leather, shoes, concrete …). 

Though trade exchange collapsed after the fall of communism in 1989, the embassy has never closed and the development aid continued. In 1996-2017 (phasing out), the Czech development assistance to Mongolia ranged from power plants upgrades to forestry sector modernization. Nowadays, the biodiversity protection – from forestry (working with the EU and German GIZ) to the popular wild Przewalski horses (with horse being a symbolic animal in Mongolia) reintroduction programs lead by ZOO Prague belong among the most popular projects.

More than 1% of the Mongolian population passed through Czechoslovakia and it is common to meet Czech-speaking locals on the streets nowadays as well as to have a Czech speaker on Mongolian side during the official meetings. Many Czech industry employees now come from Mongolia (most frequently in its automotive sector). From January 2024, the quota of accepted applications will increase from 1,000 to 3,000 per year. 

Almost 13.000 Mongolians, the largest community within the European Union and one of the largest in the world after South Korea and USA lives in Czechia. Vast majority of them are newcomers, unrelated to the pre-1989 era.  Thanks to controlled labor migration, the Asian community including a growing number of students  from Vietnam, Mongolia and the Philippines, is gaining importance in Czechia . 

Czechia has also been involved in the NATO DEEP mission and in 2023 also renewed its observer level peacekeeping military exercise Khaan Quest. Its companies have provided the civil aviation control systems for the new Chingiskhan airport as well as the wastewater treatment plants for both the airport and the large Oyu Tolgoi mine.