It was a great first for a French president. After the G7 summit in Japan, Emmanuel Macron traveled to Mongolia on Sunday, where he promoted an energy-focused partnership with the landlocked country between China and Russia that is attracting interest from Westerners. For the occasion, the Mongols have put the small dishes in the big ones. Upon exiting the plane in Ulaanbaatar, the French head of state was greeted by a line of honor guards in traditional blue, red and yellow attire. He then tasted, as is customary, a dry cow’s milk cheese offered to distinguished guests. Then he was led by his counterpart Ukhnaa Khurelsukh to a traditional yurt set up inside the presidential palace.
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, France has been increasing its efforts to speak to countries that have not clearly condemned the war led by Moscow. The brief but symbolic state visit to Mongolia fits into this context. With the Mongolian President, Emmanuel Macron said he “shared” his “determination to support an attacked state” and his “objective of a return to peace on the European continent in accordance with international law”.
He also hailed Ulaanbaatar’s contribution to the “multilateral system on which international security is based”, although Ukhnaa Khurelsukh limited himself in his statement to the press to a vague plea in favor of the “maintenance of peace and security in the world”.
Thank you, President Khürelsükh, as well as your government and the Mongolian people, for welcoming us to Ulaanbaatar and for what we are going to write together. pic.twitter.com/YWhVrlqiad
But Ukraine was not the only objective of this short visit. Indeed, France also aims to strengthen bilateral energy ties. Emmanuel Macron notably defended the cause of the French nuclear group Orano, already present in the country and a candidate for a major uranium extraction project, which still has to obtain the approval of the Mongolian government for one of the most important in the world.
He assured that the project would meet the “best environmental and social standards” as the company is often criticized by local environmental movements. “The partnership with Orano is a structuring element”, “it will therefore make it possible to extract extremely important critical metals”, he added, referring to his quest for “energy sovereignty” for France.
For its part, Paris is committed to facilitating the financing of Mongolia’s ecological transition with cooperation on renewable energies and nuclear power, because Mongolia is one of the countries most affected by global warming. This semi-desert country is subject to extreme temperatures, is 90% dependent on coal for its electricity and therefore needs to decarbonize its economy.
Currently, 86% of Mongolia’s total exports of all commodities go to China. Half of these Chinese purchases are coal.
“Mongolia is a landlocked country between Russia and China, but also a country that has a liberal model of government, that holds elections, that has experienced alternations, and that also seeks to diversify its partnerships to be more robust and to be able to deal in better conditions with its big Russian and Chinese neighbors ”, it was explained in the entourage of the French president.
The visit ended with a state dinner at the Chinggis-Khan Museum, named after the great 13th-century Mongol conqueror. The institution will lend part of its collection to the Nantes History Museum for an exhibition scheduled for October.
The collaboration between Emmanuel Macron and Ukhnaa Khurelsukh could be extended since the first has invited the second for a state visit, to France this time, next October.
