Translated material
Mongolian chord
George Bush reached Ulaanbaatar
George W. Bush yesterday became the first sitting US president to pay an official visit to Mongolia. He devoted only four hours to this country on his week-long trip to Asia, but awarded the country of the steppes the proud title of “a bastion of democracy in North Asia.”The Americans helped in the development of the Mongolian constitution of 1992, and they also finance projects to educate the local electorate. “Our nations know that the responsibility for freedom is not limited to the borders of our own countries, that the vitality of our freedom increasingly depends on the reign of freedom in other lands,” said George W. Bush. The United States provides technical assistance to Mongolia and funds the training of national personnel to carry out reforms. Over seven years, Ulaanbaatar received $100 million. It is expected that assistance will also come through the US government's Millennium Challenge program, specially designed to finance the sustainable growth of countries that, according to the US State Department, have achieved success in democratic reforms.
Ulaanbaatar received special gratitude from the head of the White House for supporting the Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are 132 and 50 Mongol warriors stationed in these countries respectively. But it's not a matter of quantity. Speaking to members of the Great Khural (Parliament), Bush summed it up: "The Mongolian military serves freedom, and American troops are proud to serve alongside such fearless warriors."
This US favor and interest has a strategic rationale. Mongolia has observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In the summer, this organization greatly agitated Washington by asking America to decide on the duration of its bases in Central Asia. However, allies from Ulaanbaatar do not yet have voting rights in the SCO. And the US attempts to establish a military base in Mongolia, located far from the hot spots of Asia, will become an open challenge to Beijing and Moscow.
Bush's conversation with Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar took place behind closed doors. It is known that the focus was on the fight against Islamic radicalism. “Like the ideology of communism, the ideology of Islamic radicalism is doomed to failure, because the thirst for power is not capable of defeating the human desire for freedom,” George Bush concluded.
As is customary in Mongolia, the meeting of the dear guest ended in the guest government yurt. There, George Bush was treated to national cuisine and entertained by performances by Mongolian artists.