The president of the National Council, Marina Carobbio Guscetti (PS, TI) visited Mongolia in an official capacity from 24 June to 3 July. She engaged in official talks while in the capital of Ulaanbaatar before travelling to the west of the country to visit projects run as part of Switzerland’s development cooperation.

​Ms Carobbio Guscetti’s trip to Mongolia is a reciprocal visit, Mr Gombojay Zandanshatar, Chairman of the Mongolian parliament, and an accompanying delegation having paid an official visit to Bern in March 2019.

On 24 and 25 June, Ms Carobbio Guscetti attended talks in Ulaanbaatar with Mr Zandanshatar and other members of the Mongolian parliament, with President Khaltmaagiin Battulga and Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar.

Part of the talks focused on the success of Switzerland’s commitment to development and cooperation in Mongolia, the revision of the double taxation agreement, and tourism. In addition, Mongolia reiterated its invitation to open a Swiss embassy in Ulaanbaatar. On 25 June, Ms Carobbio Guscetti delivered a keynote speech on women in politics at the Women Leadership Forum. In the evening, she attended, together with Mr Zandanshatar, the celebrations marking the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Mongolia held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Both in Ulaanbaatar and in Uvs and Khovd in the west of the country, Ms Carobbio Guscetti visited several projects which receive funding from Switzerland, primarily from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. These include projects in the field of clean air, mining, healthcare, agriculture, education and administration. Meetings and discussions with local authorities were also on the agenda.

Relations between Switzerland and Mongolia date back to the late 1950s, when the first Swiss businesses set up commercial relations with the Asian country. Switzerland was Mongolia’s first non-Socialist commercial partner. It officially recognised the Democratic Republic of Mongolia on 20　May　1964. Relations have become closer since Mongolia embraced democracy in the early 1990s. When Mongolia suffered some particularly harsh winters at the end of the decade,　Switzerland provided humanitarian aid, and since 2002 this support has taken the form of development cooperation.