India to boost people-to-people ties with Mongolia, provide free e-visas

Both sides exchanged MoUs for cooperation in humanitarian aid, restoration of heritage sites in Mongolia, cooperation in immigration, and sharing of digital solutions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa on Tuesday held wide-ranging delegation-level talks in New Delhi, covering cooperation across sectors, including education, energy, defence, and security.

 

Both sides exchanged memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for cooperation in humanitarian aid, restoration of heritage sites in Mongolia, cooperation in immigration, geology and mineral resources, and sharing of digital solutions.

 

This marked Ukhnaa’s first visit to India in six years as both nations celebrated the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership and 70 years of diplomatic ties. To mark the occasion, both leaders jointly released commemorative stamps.

People-to-people relations

Speaking at a joint press conference, PM Modi announced the government will provide free e-visas to people of Mongolia. PM Modi also highlighted a new MoU between the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and Mongolia’s Arkhangai province to promote local-level cooperation. 

 

“Our borders are not lined, but India always sees Mongolia as our neighbour. We will keep strengthening people-to-people ties. We have decided that the people of Mongolia will be given free e-visas. India will also sponsor the youth cultural ambassadors of Mongolia to India,” PM Modi said.

 

The two leaders also focused on deepening educational and cultural ties, with Modi announcing new partnerships between historic institutions. “Nalanda University has made a huge contribution to Buddhism, and today we have decided that Nalanda and Gandan Monastery will work together to bring new energy to our historical relations,” he said.

$1.7 billion oil refinery project

Reaffirming commitment to Mongolia’s development, PM Modi said, “The oil refinery project being built in Mongolia through a line of credit of $1.7 billion is India’s largest such project. We have also strengthened our relations in skill development and are giving new hope to the youth of Mongolia through our innovation missions.”

 

“The construction of the oil refinery is of strategic importance for Mongolia and crucial to secure our energy needs. It is a flagship symbol of India-Mongolia relations and will contribute to our country's prosperity,” Ukhnaa said.

Boosting security and defence cooperation

PM Modi noted that India-Mongolia ties have made “huge leaps” in the past decade, particularly in the field of defence. “Our security cooperation has strengthened. Be it training or appointing Defence attachés to the embassy, we have initiated many measures,” he said, adding that India will soon launch new capacity-building programmes for Mongolia’s border security forces.

Shared vision on global issues

The leaders reaffirmed their shared positions on international matters, emphasising cooperation at multilateral forums. “Our views on global issues are based on shared principles. At international forums, we are close partners. We both want a free, open, inclusive, and rule-based Indo-Pacific. We work together to raise the voice of the Global South,” Modi said. He added that India and Mongolia share deep spiritual ties rooted in Buddhism.