At the opening, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Munkhtushig Lkhanaajav emphasized, “Facilitating the conditions for Mongolian citizens to travel abroad and creating opportunities for visa-free travel is one of the priorities of the Government of Mongolia. The main requirements set during discussions with other countries to facilitate travel conditions are related to issues of personal responsibility for citizens not to violate the purpose and duration of the visa and not to get involved in any criminal case. The irresponsible action of one Mongolian citizen residing or traveling abroad hinders the interests of thousands of Mongolians, especially their relatives. Therefore, citizens’ participation, awareness, and responsibility are crucial in facilitating conditions for visa-free travel.”

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Mongolia Richard Buangan stated, “In recent years, the number of Mongolians wishing to visit the United States has been steadily increasing. During the past 12 months, the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy issued approximately 18 thousand visas to Mongolian nationals. The visa process is influenced by historical trends of Mongolian travelers who returned, or who did not return, to Mongolia after their stay in the United States. This trend affects how Mongolian applicants are assessed today regarding their qualification for U.S. visas. The actions of individuals who overstay their visas, including working without permission while in the United States, have consequences not only for those individuals, but for their friends, family, and fellow citizens in the future. This is because the visa-issuing country is showing trust in individuals by legally granting travel visas for a certain period of time. Therefore, it is essential for all Mongolians traveling to the United States and other countries to adhere to responsible travel practices in order to facilitate travel conditions for everyone.”

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Mongolia Choi Jin-won underscored, “Mongolia and the Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations in 1990. Since then, bilateral relations between the two countries have developed rapidly across political, social, and cultural sectors. A key factor in the growing bilateral relations is people-to-people exchange. Last year, around 140 thousand Mongolian citizens visited South Korea, and a similar number of Korean citizens visited Mongolia, marking the highest record in history. This year alone, 180 thousand Korean citizens have traveled to Mongolia. On the other hand, 57 thousand Mongolian citizens reside in South Korea. All these figures highlight the need for citizens from both countries to travel responsibly. It is important to adhere to laws, regulations, and culture of the country being visited in traveling responsibly.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia, launched an information and awareness campaign titled “Let's Travel Responsibly” in October 2017 with the aim to encourage visa applicants and visa holders to travel to the United States in accordance with their purpose of travel without overstaying. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mongolia joined the campaign in 2018. The campaign has resulted in reduced cases of violations related to visa overstays, with campaign dissemination works having reached a high number of citizens and increased citizens’ responsibility.