Unique-Mongolia to Deepen Cooperation With US on Uncommon Earths, PM Says on Washington Go to

By Simon Lewis and David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Mongolia will deepen cooperation with Washington to mine uncommon earths, the nation’s Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene stated on a go to to Washington on Wednesday, however he warned {that a} “new Chilly Battle” between the U.S. and China would hurt the worldwide economic system.

Mongolia has in depth deposits of uncommon earths and copper, that are important for top tech functions together with protection tools and for President Joe Biden’s efforts to impress the auto market to assist stave off local weather change.

Oyun-Erdene spoke to Reuters after he met Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday and agreed to signal an “Open Skies” civil aviation settlement, amongst pledges of additional financial cooperation.

“Now we have mentioned our potential cooperation in mining uncommon earths, crucial minerals, together with copper,” stated Oyun-Erdene, who spoke via a translator.

Cooperation with america, which he known as Mongolia’s “vital strategic third neighbor,” on uncommon earths and important minerals was already underway, and could be deepened below a memorandum of understanding signed in June between his nation’s ministry of mining and heavy business and the U.S. State Division, he stated.

Mongolia hopes to have good relations with its neighbor China, which controls many of the world’s uncommon earths deposits, in addition to the U.S., however Oyun-Erdene warned that nations like his personal, which is landlocked between China and Russia, would endure if superpower competitors boiled over.

“I worry that the brand new Chilly Battle can be very completely different and (extra) tough from the primary Chilly Battle,” he stated, pointing to fast technological change and world issues like local weather change. “We can’t bear a brand new Chilly Battle scenario.”

He known as on main powers to “be extra accountable” to keep away from “drastic unfavorable results on many nations all over the world, particularly the worldwide economic system.”

Oyun-Erdene stated his nation was in talks with Tesla Chief Govt Elon Musk over potential funding and cooperation within the electrical automobile sector and area, however he wouldn’t meet the tech billionaire throughout this go to.

The Mongolian chief stated he deliberate to go to California and meet Musk and different tech business leaders on a separate journey, the date of which was but to be determined.

He drew consideration to Musk’s curiosity within the planet Mars, which the billionaire has expressed a need to colonize.

“One fascinating matter that I mentioned with Mr. Elon Musk is the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, which has an analogous atmosphere to Mars, and I urged him to perform a little research on this,” he stated.

Oyun-Erdene is because of go to the U.S. area company NASA throughout his go to and can be anticipated to fulfill Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

He known as america Mongolia’s “guiding Polar Star for our democratic journey” and stated his discussions would cowl “how we will additional improve our democratic values.”

Given its border with U.S. adversary Russia, Mongolia has suffered from the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine final yr, together with from inflation of products like explosives for mining, Oyun-Erdene stated.

The Biden administration has targeted on creating its relationships with nations all through Asia to counter China’s rising may and the so-called “no limits” partnership between Beijing and Moscow.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Simon Lewis; Modifying by Sonali Paul)

Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters.