TOKYO, Japan – On September 29, Prime Minister of Mongolia N.Uchral has met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo, with the two governments agreeing to deepen economic and infrastructure cooperation, including the expansion of Ulaanbaatar’s Chinggis Khaan International Airport.

The meeting was the first between the two leaders and came during Uchral’s official visit to Japan, which began on September 27. Mongolian and Japanese officials have presented the airport project as a central element of the visit, alongside cooperation on energy security, trade, investment and broader strategic ties. 

The most concrete outcome was progress on Japanese financing for the expansion of Chinggis Khaan International Airport. Japan agreed to finance about JP¥150 billion (US$1 billion) in soft loans for the project. The airport, which opened in 2021 with Japanese-backed development assistance, has experienced passenger traffic above its initial projections. The existing terminal and aircraft parking areas have become insufficient for current demand, prompting the two governments to agree that an expansion is necessary. 

At the summit, Ms Takaichi said Japan wanted to strengthen its relationship with Mongolia.

“For peace and prosperity, we want to further strengthen our cooperative relationship,” she said. The Japanese prime minister also expressed appreciation for Mongolia’s support for Japan’s vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”. The two governments see cooperation with Mongolia as part of efforts to maintain an international order based on freedom, democracy and the rule of law, according to the Japanese reporting. 

Uchral has described Japan as an important “third neighbor” and a special strategic partner, "deepening friendly mutual relation with Japan is the priority direction of Mongolia's foreign policy", he added.

“Mongolia attaches great importance to expanding economic cooperation, increasing trade turnover and boosting exports to Japan,” he said during a separate meeting with the delegates of Japan-Mongolia Parliamentary Group at the Japanese top legislative body.

The prime minister also called for greater Japanese investment and improved conditions for investors, while seeking continued cooperation in engineering and technology education. Mongolia specifically highlighted the MJEED and KOSEN programmes, which support engineering and technical education based on Japanese experience. 

Trade is another focus of the visit. In talks with Japanese parliamentary leaders on Tuesday, Uchral said Mongolia wanted to increase the benefits of the Japan-Mongolia Economic Partnership Agreement, expand Mongolian exports and attract more Japanese investment, technology and know-how. 

The discussions also touched on the investment environment. Mongolia has raised the possibility of creating a more stable and favorable tax environment for Japanese investors and working towards an agreement to avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion. 

Energy security featured alongside infrastructure. Kyodo reported that the leaders discussed cooperation on strengthening energy procurement, while the agenda included Japanese-led financial support for crude-oil supplies and renewable-energy development. Mongolia remains highly dependent on Russia for fuel supplies, making diversification of energy sources an important element of the discussions.

Mongolia and Japan upgraded their relationship to a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity” in 2022. Under the partnership, two countries intend to strengthen cooperation on maintaining an international order based on freedom, democracy and the rule of law. The two sides will also mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027. Uchral’s visit is scheduled to continue through September 30. 

Sources: Mongolian Government