Andrzej Duda will be accompanied to East Asia by First Lady Agata Kornhauser Duda, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
On Tuesday, Poland’s head of state will meet with Mongolia’s top politicians in the capital Ulaanbaatar, officials said.
Duda is set to hold talks with President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene and parliamentary Speaker Gombojav Zandanshatar, the IAR news agency reported.
Economic cooperation
Marcin Przydacz, a top foreign policy aide to the Polish president, said the visit was designed “to maintain economic cooperation” between Poland and Mongolia.
The aide said: “Opening up new markets for Polish businesses is a very important issue for the president.”
Przydacz added that Mongolia was an attractive investment destination for Poland’s mining sector, as well as for producers of agricultural machinery and mining equipment.
He told reporters there was “potential for bilateral cooperation” in the food sector and "in the field of forestation," according to news outlets.
Poland’s Duda and Mongolia’s Khürelsükh were expected to attend a Polish-Mongolian Business Forum and the two governments were also due to sign a number of bilateral agreements, officials told reporters.
Poland is the second-largest exporter to Mongolia among European Union countries, and was the seventh-biggest exporter overall in 2021, the IAR news agency reported.
Between January and May 2022, Poland exported USD 37.8 million worth of products to Mongolia, a 51 percent increase on the same period the year before, according to the Polish government.
Polish exports to Mongolia have almost doubled over the past decade, with agri-food products especially in demand, officials said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and global security
The other main topic of the Polish president’s visit to Mongolia is global security among Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “which has resulted in a deterioration of the security situation around the world,” according to officials.
Duda is expected to outline the Polish stance, urging support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia to end its aggression, the IAR news agency reported.
Mongolia is an important country in East Asia, given its location bordering Russia to the north and China to the south, the Polish president’s office said.
Przydacz told reporters: “President Duda will make the full case for supporting Ukraine as it defends itself, and also for putting the strongest possible pressure on the Russian side to end its senseless aggression.”
The Polish president will also "present Warsaw’s stance" during a speech at the State Mongolian University in Ulaanbaatar on Wednesday, according to officials.
On Tuesday, Duda is scheduled to open a new Polish embassy in the Mongolian capital.
On Wednesday, Poland’s first couple are expected to meet with a group of Mongolians who have graduated from Polish universities, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Polish and Mongolian governments will sign bilateral deals on road transport, science, archives, geology and veterinary services, the IAR news agency reported.
Monday is day 425 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, prezydent.pl