Australia Day Celebration
3 February 2017
Ulaanbaatar. The Australian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar hosted an Australian National Day reception on Friday, 3 February 2017 to celebrate the birth of Australia and Australia’s partnership with Mongolia. “This year is particularly notable as it is the first occasion for me to hold the Australia Day reception as the first resident Ambassador in Mongolia. This year also marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Mongolia” said Ambassador Langtry.
Forty-five years ago, on 15 September 1972, Australia’s then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam established diplomatic relations with Mongolia. Since 1990 relations considerably strengthened with both countries’ sharing a liberal democracy and free market economy. Australia has been assisting Mongolia through an annual AUD10 million bilateral development program. Since 1993, about 500 Mongolians have studied in Australia under the Australia Awards Scholarship scheme. Australia has rich experience in utilising high quality foreign investment to develop mineral wealth and is sharing its expertise with Mongolia. Australia and Mongolia also partners to foster sustainable economic and social development in Mongolia’s technical education, agriculture, public health and best-practice governance in mining.
“Both of us are facing big challenges in restructuring and reforming our economies. Australia is pleased to see Mongolia rising to the task of restoring investor confidence in close cooperation with the IMF. In these turbulent times, it is all the more important for Australia and Mongolia to remember the liberal democratic ties that bind us, which remain the best foundation for the civil, political and economic freedoms that both our countries aspire to,” added Ambassador Langtry.