Italy and Mongolia Strengthen Bilateral Ties at Intergovernmental Commission

Maria Tripodi, the Italian Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, visited Mongolia to co-chair the IV Mechanism of Political Consultations with Mongolian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Munkhtushig Lkhanaajav. The agenda included bilateral relations, defense and security cooperation, global crises, anti-corruption efforts, relations with the European Union, and multilateral cooperation. Tripodi also co-chaired the IV Intergovernmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation with Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh, focusing on strategic complementarities between the two economies. Tripodi highlighted the strong friendship and collaboration between Italy and Mongolia, celebrating the 55th anniversary of their relations. Italy stands as Mongolia's primary European trade partner after Germany, with a trade volume of 139 million Euros. Key sectors include cashmere, where Italy is the leading global importer, and machinery, particularly for mining, where Italy is a major exporter. Tripodi noted the recent signing of the first air transport agreement between the two countries in Rome, facilitated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, paving the way for direct flights to Ulan Bator. This initiative aims to leverage investment opportunities from the European strategy Global Gateway and enhance contacts between entrepreneurs, especially benefiting Mongolian SMEs. An EU-Mongolia business forum is planned for October 2025.