Ulaanbaatar, December 5, 2023 /MONTSAME/. Chairman of the State Great Khural of Mongolia Zandanshatar Gombojav received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Mongolia Sandra Choufani on December 4, 2023.  

At the onset of the Meeting, Chairman Zandanshatar congratulated Ambassador Sandra Choufani for presenting her Letter of Credence and assuming office. Chairman Zandanshatar highlighted, “Mongolia-Canada relations and cooperation have developed based on common values of democracy, human rights, freedom, the rule of law, and gender equality. Half a century ago, on November 30, 1973, diplomatic relations were established between our two countries, and Canada became the first country in North America to establish official relations with Mongolia. Relations and cooperation between Mongolia and Canada have been consistently expanded under the Expanded Partnership, and Canada has become Mongolia's important "third neighbor" and one of the leading investors and main trade partners.”

The Chairman of the State Great Khural expressed satisfaction with the agreement to advance relations between Mongolia and Canada to a Comprehensive Partnership on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Chairman also stressed Canada's valuable contributions to Mongolia's political, social, and economic development, particularly through its successful implementation of projects to strengthen professional and citizen-centered public service, ensure gender equality, and empower civil society in Mongolia. 

Newly appointed Ambassador Sandra Choufani expressed gratitude to Chairman Zandanshatar for the warm welcome and her commitment to exert every effort towards fostering bilateral relations and cooperation in all areas to elevate it to a new level. 

Chairman Zandanshatar noted the importance of further strengthening cooperation between the Parliaments of the two countries. “We are primarily focused on works that uphold human rights and promote gender equality. To achieve these goals, we have been studying international best practices to enhance transparency, improve public participation, and refine legislative processes. One of the clearest examples is the petition.parliament.mn system, an electronic platform that facilitates the submission of public petitions, as part of our commitment to becoming a democratic, consultative, and digital parliament. The System was introduced two months ago in d.parliament.mn. Through this, the opportunity for citizens to participate in legislative processes and to enjoy the right to govern is increasing. To achieve sustainable development goals, the State Great Khural of Mongolia amended the Law on the Election of the Parliament of Mongolia, mandating that at least 30 percent of all candidates in the 2024 parliamentary elections and at least 40 percent in the 2028 elections must be women. In June 2023, we successfully organized the conference "Trans-Altai Sustainability Dialogue” under the Gender Equality and Sustainable Development in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. To foster cultural, historical, traditional, and ethnic interdependence and sustainable cooperation among trans-Altai countries, we plan to organize an annual conference under the theme "Peace, Governance, and Partnership" in April of next year.” 

In addition, Chairman Zandanshatar invited Ambassador Sandra Shufani to attend the honorary session of the State Great Khural for the 75th anniversary of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," approved by the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, on December 9, 2023. 

At the Meeting, the two sides exchanged views on opportunities to upgrade relations between the two countries by intensifying relations in all sectors, such as trade, economy, investment, green energy, and environmental protection.