History
2026-05-08
Since its admission to the United Nations in October 1961, the reputation of the Mongolian People’s Republic had been raised in the international arena, enabling it to strengthen its foreign relations. As a result, the country broadened its directions of foreign affairs and started developing open diplomatic relations with many countries. For the Mongolian People’s Republic, it was very significant to establish diplomatic relations with ‘young’ Singapore, which already gained an important political, economic, geographic, and strategic position amongst the Southeast Asian countries, with its declaration of independence in 1965. As an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Mongolian People’s Republic to the Republic of India, Mr Ts. Demiddagva commenced official talks with foreign affairs officials of Singapore in 1969 on the establishment of diplomatic relations, the sides reached an agreement within a relatively short period, resulting in MPR and Singapore’s establishment of diplomatic relations on June 11, 1970. It began a history of longstanding friendly relations and cooperation between Mongolia and Singapore. Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the MPR Mr Yu. Tsedenbal and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore Mr Lee Kuan Yew extended mutual greetings on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
During the first few years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Mongolian Ambassador to the Republic of India Mr Ts. Demiddagva served as the first Non-Resident Ambassador of Mongolia to Singapore. In December 1994, the Government of the Republic of Singapore accredited its Ambassador to the Republic of Korea as a Non-Resident Ambassador to Mongolia. Ambassador Pang Eng Fong presented his Letter of Credence to the Mongolian President in May 1995.
In 1992, Mongolia established its Trade Representative Office in Singapore. The Trade Representative Office of Mongolia was reorganized as a Consulate General in 2001, and later as the Embassy of Mongolia in Singapore in 2008. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Republic of Singapore, His Excellency Mr Enkhbayar Sosorbaram, presented his Letter of Credence to Her Excellency Mdm Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore, on 6 December 2021.
During the past five decades, friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries have further expanded and developed. More than 1,600 Mongolian officials were trained through Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) and over 1,500 officials have participated in 14 Temasek Foundation (TF) Programmes in Mongolia over the years. In July 2016, the Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Lee Hsien Loong made an official visit to Mongolia and thereafter attended the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Since 2022, Mongolia–Singapore relations have become more active and diversified, moving beyond traditional diplomatic ties into practical cooperation in governance, urban development, climate policy, legal affairs, tourism, and people-to-people exchange. The relationship remains friendly and stable, supported by diplomatic representation, parliamentary links, foreign ministry consultations, and regular high-level contacts. Mongolia and Singapore marked 55 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, reflecting a long-standing partnership that began in 1970.
A major recent milestone was the official visit of Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene to Singapore from 6 to 9 July 2022 at the invitation of then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. During the visit, the two sides reaffirmed warm bilateral relations and discussed ways to deepen cooperation, including in pension fund policy and public housing. The visit gave renewed political momentum to the relationship and highlighted Singapore’s relevance to Mongolia’s development priorities, especially in governance, urban planning, and public-sector reform.
Since then, official exchanges have continued across several sectors. Mongolian ministers and senior officials have participated in regional and international platforms hosted in Singapore, including the Shangri-La Dialogue and other high-level meetings. In 2024, Mongolian officials also engaged Singapore counterparts on tourism, youth development, investment promotion, and public-sector cooperation. These exchanges show that the relationship has expanded from formal diplomacy into more sector-specific engagement.
The institutional foundation of the relationship has also strengthened. The Mongolia–Singapore Parliamentary Friendship Group remains a channel for legislative dialogue, while foreign ministry policy consultations have provided a mechanism for reviewing bilateral cooperation and identifying new areas of collaboration. The second foreign ministry consultation was held in Ulaanbaatar in July 2023, indicating that both sides are maintaining regular diplomatic communication.
Climate cooperation has become one of the most important new pillars of the relationship. On 6 October 2025, Singapore and Mongolia signed an Implementation Agreement on carbon credits collaboration under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The agreement creates a framework for carbon mitigation projects and the transfer of carbon credits, aligning Mongolia’s climate and sustainable development potential with Singapore’s carbon-market strategy. Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry described it as Singapore’s 10th such implementation agreement, while Singapore’s Economic Development Board noted that the deal deepened cooperation in emissions reduction, clean energy, and climate goals.
Judicial and legal cooperation also advanced in 2025. According to the uploaded brief, the Chief Justice of Mongolia’s Supreme Court met Singapore’s Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon on 4 July 2025, and the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on judicial cooperation. This development suggests that bilateral ties are broadening into rule-of-law, court administration, and institutional capacity-building cooperation.
People-to-people relations remain an important part of the relationship. Citizens of both countries may travel visa-free for up to 30 days, supporting tourism, business travel, education, and family visits. Education and training links also continue, particularly through Singapore’s technical cooperation programmes, under which Mongolian civil servants have received short-term training in public administration, governance, urban planning, and legal systems.
Overall, Mongolia–Singapore relations have become more practical, multi-sectoral, and forward-looking. The 2022 prime ministerial visit renewed high-level political engagement, subsequent exchanges sustained momentum, and the 2025 carbon credits agreement added a major new climate and sustainability dimension. The relationship is no longer limited to diplomatic goodwill; it increasingly focuses on institutional learning, climate cooperation, governance, urban development, legal cooperation, and human-resource development.
Mongolia and Singapore work closely at regional and international fora, such as ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the United Nations (UN), as we share a common goal of maintaining regional peace and stability and upholding an open and inclusive rules-based multilateral system. Our two countries enjoy strong multilateral cooperation and mutual support, especially in the elections of the UN and other international organizations.
In times of need, Mongolia and Singapore have supported each other. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit us in 2020 Temasek Foundation donated 3000 test kits and 10 oxygen concentrators to Mongolia, while Mongolia provided 200 gift bags to Singapore’s frontline healthcare workers.