Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a four-day state visit to India at the special invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. The visit marks 70 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of the India-Mongolia strategic partnership.
President Ukhnaa met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, followed by delegation-level talks covering education, energy, defence, and security. The two countries signed ten Memorandums of Understanding in areas including humanitarian aid, heritage restoration in Mongolia, cooperation on immigration, geology and mineral resources, promotion of cooperatives, and digital solutions.
Speaking after the meetings, Modi announced that India would provide free e-visas to Mongolian citizens. He also highlighted a new MoU between the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and Mongolia’s Arkhangai province to promote local-level cooperation, and the development of Mongolia’s first domestic oil refinery.
“The Oil Refinery Project, supported by India’s $1.7 billion line of credit, will strengthen Mongolia’s energy security. It is India’s largest development partnership project globally, with over 2,500 Indian professionals working alongside their Mongolian counterparts to make it a reality,” PM said.
President Ukhnaa described the refinery as “of strategic importance for Mongolia and crucial to securing our energy needs.” The project aims to reduce Mongolia’s dependence on China, which accounts for 70–80% of the country’s exports. India and Mongolia are also exploring the export of critical minerals, including uranium, through the Vladivostok–Chennai maritime corridor.
PM Modi also mentioned the growing defence cooperation. “Our defence and security cooperation is also steadily strengthening. We have launched several new initiatives, from training programs to the appointment of a Defence Attaché at the Embassy. India will also launch a new capacity-building program for Mongolia's border security forces,” he said.
Following the talks, Secretary (East) Periasamy Kumaran said both countries adopted a joint statement on strengthening strategic partnership and outlined future engagement in resilient supply chains and critical minerals.
Kumaran added that Mongolia is keen to trade with India in coking coal but logistical challenges remain due to its landlocked geography. “If India is to buy coking coal, it will have to be through Tianjin port in China or Vladivostok port in Russia. The economics need to be figured out. The Russian option is more expensive than the Chinese one. We are talking to the Russians and the Mongolians to see what kind of arrangements can be made,” he said.
India is also exploring opportunities in Mongolia’s copper, gold, iron, zinc, and uranium reserves.
