Transcript of Ambassador Minton’s Interview on UBS TV’s “15 Minute Studio”

Broadcast on December 26, 2006

Mr. Batbayar:  I would like to welcome you to this program and congratulate you with the coming Christmas Celebration. Could you introduce yourself?

Ambassador Minton:  Thank you, Mr. Batbayar.  I’m very happy to be here on UBS this afternoon.  I am a professional American diplomat, have been for over 25 years.  Most of my previous experience has been in Japan and Korea, and at the United Nations in New York.  I came here as Ambassador to Mongolia – for the first time as an Ambassador – about two months ago.  And I’m very happy to be in Mongolia as US Ambassador.

Mr. Batbayar:  This will be your first New Year celebration in Mongolia. How do you foresee the year 2007 and your plans for the next year in connection with your diplomatic experience and the relations of the two countries?  

Ambassador Minton:  Next year, 2007, is the twentieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Mongolia, so it is a special year for us.  I think we are still having the benefits of President Bush’s trip here about a year ago, when the American people were able to see on their television sets much about Mongolian culture and history and modern Mongolia.  So we have an ambitious program of cultural visits, seminars, and also high level visits by US officials to Mongolia, this coming year, 2007, to celebrate this twentieth anniversary. 

Mr. Batbayar:  The historic visit of the U.S. President George W. Bush to Mongolia was a year ago at this time. What was the significance of the visit? Were the issues discussed during the visit being able to be implemented?

Ambassador Minton:  The significance, as I said, primarily was to publicize this rather new, close relationship.  We are Mongolia’s sort of third partner and we have just twenty years of a relationship, but it has grown very quickly.  Many American businessmen are interested in coming to Mongolia.  We have 105 Peace Corps Volunteers in the country.  We are helping with a whole range of issues, such as preserving Mongolia’s culture.  Also, we are trying to provide aid to Mongolia in certain useful ways.  And as you may know, we are negotiating an even larger assistance package for Mongolia under what is called the Millennium Challenge Account.

Mr. Batbayar:  The U.S. is the symbol of democracy and development. During this visit the U.S. was announced to be the third neighbor of Mongolia. What would you advise Mongolians should do to strengthen the democracy in Mongolia?

Ambassador Minton:  I don’t think Mongolia needs much direct advice from anyone, because the achievements of the Mongolian people in the last twenty years or even fifteen years, since the change from the Socialist period, have been remarkable.  You have a very successful democracy with a free press and political elections, and changing political power between political factions.  What the United States wants to do is support, to the extent possible, the direction and the commitment of the Mongolian people to develop their democracy and their economy.  So we just want to support and to help them with that.

Mr. Batbayar:  Mongolians are waiting for the good news on the compact with MCA. When will that become a reality?

Ambassador Minton:  We have been negotiating this Millennium Challenge Account agreement for some time now.  And now we have entered, at the end of this year, 2006, the decisive stage of very detailed negotiations with the intention of completing the agreement in 2007, as soon as possible in 2007, and I am optimistic about the way the work is going now.

Mr. Batbayar:  Could you share with us information on the substantial works planned for next year within the cooperation of the two countries?

Ambassador Minton:  As I said before, Mr. Batbayar, we have many projects and many programs in which we are working with Mongolia.  And we want to continue and strengthen these projects.  For instance, we have a good security relationship, in which the United States military is working with the Mongolian military to develop Mongolia’s capacity to do international peacekeeping missions under the UN, and this will continue in the coming year.  We also are doing everything we can to support the teaching of English as a Second Language in Mongolia.  Our 105 Peace Corps Volunteers are in many regions and rural schools in Mongolia teaching English.  I have visited some of them.  And a direct result of President Bush’s promise when he was in Mongolia for his visit, we have expanded scholarships for Mongolian students to study English.  We are also trying to promote academic exchange between our two countries.  Last year we issued 1,400 visas for students in Mongolia to participate in programs in the United States.  And then we mentioned the Millennium Challenge Account as well.

Mr. Batbayar:  Mr. Ambassador, maybe you have some information on how many American companies are working in Mongolia now?

Ambassador Minton:  I don’t have the exact number because it is a very fluid situation, and also companies are in different phases.  Some are here, established, such as Caterpillar, a big US company that makes heavy equipment for industrial purposes and mining purposes.  Other companies are just exploring setting up business here.  But the interest of American companies in doing business with Mongolia is very intense.  Because Mongolia is increasingly a democracy and a market economy, and Mongolians are good partners for US businesspeople, and of course, to be honest, the mining sector here is very attractive.  I must say about that, those American companies observe the best practices in the world in the mining sector and other business for preservation of the environment and operating according to the laws of the country in which they are doing business.

Mr. Batbayar:  We would like to leave the last question to you. Anything you would like to tell to the viewers of the UBS TV and the readers of Zuuny Medee daily?

Ambassador Minton:  The last thing I would like to say is that it has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my diplomatic life to be appointed as Ambassador to Mongolia.  Americans are increasingly finding out through visits here and through educational programs what a wonderful country Mongolia is, and what a good partner and friend Mongolia is for the United States of America.  The most important thing I think is that every American who comes here ends up loving Mongolia and liking the Mongolian people very much.  I think the Mongolian people have a warm feeling for the United States.  So as Ambassador, more than anything else, I want to promote and increase the strong feeling that the Mongolian people have for the American people, the American people have for the Mongolian people, and to increase our chances to meet one another.