US-Mongolia Deal: Harris, Oyun-Erdene To Sign 'Open Skies' Agreement Ahead of Talks

United States Vice President Kamala Harris and Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene are set to sign the "Open Skies" deal ahead of talks between the two officials.

Oyun-Erdene's visit to Washington on Wednesday marks the first time that a Mongolian prime minister has traveled to the United States since 2018. It gave the small country, which has a population of roughly 3.4 million, a platform in the American nation for a day.

U.S.-Mongolia Open Skies Agreement

The two officials' meeting will discuss the two nations' economic and commercial relationship. Harris and Oyun-Erdene also discuss regional and global issues like China and Russia.

Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene's visit to the United States seeks to deepen the strategic partnership relationship of his country with the U.S. This will be done by expanding political, economic, humanitarian, and regional cooperation, said the Mongolian Embassy located in Washington, as per Politico.

The meeting comes as Mongolia is surrounded by two global superpowers, China and Russia. As a result, the nation needs its multi-party democracy to balance cordial relations with Beijing and Moscow while also working to finalize strategic cooperation with the U.S. and host trilateral meetings with Seoul and Washington.

Because of the U.S. President Joe Biden's administration's concerns of China allegedly providing weapons to Russia that could be used in its war against Ukraine as well as Mongolia's positioning as a possible transshipment point, many expect Harris to urge Oyun-Erdene for details regarding his recent meeting with Chinese and Russian leadership.

A former Mongolian Foreign Affairs Ministry official said that the prime minister met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in June and has since been directly communicating with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Harris also underscored the Biden administration's commitment to making its ties with Mongolia even stronger along with several other regions located in the Indo-Pacific. She talked about a larger focus on battling the climate crisis, upholding democracies and human rights, and addressing threats to the international rules-based order, according to Reuters.

Bolstering International Relationships

The U.S. vice president said that the American people wholly support efforts working for the future of the Indo-Pacific region. Harris also noted that she and Biden had traveled to the region three times since they took office. She added that it was in their vital interest to promote an Indo-Pacific region that is "open, interconnected, prosperous, secure, and resilient."

The Mongolian government has worked to solidify its relationship with various allies, such as Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Officials have supported a diplomatic strategy that seeks to reinforce its political independence. Despite this, the country has continued to rely heavily on its two major neighbors.

Currently, Washington has Open Skies agreements with more than 130 countries worldwide, which grant airlines from both nations the right to operate in the other's territory. The deal also allows them to liberalize airline regulation and impose safety and security standards.

The agreement between the U.S. and Mongolia would build on a memorandum of understanding for an air transport agreement that both nations reached earlier this year, said the Japan Times.