Trump to meet president of Mongolia on July 31: White House

US President Donald Trump will meet his Mongolian counterpart Khaltmaagiin Battulga on July 31, the White House said Thursday. "The meeting will focus on deepening cooperation between the United States and Mongolia to strengthen security and promote prosperity for both our countries," White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said.

The two leaders will discuss a range of issues, including defense and security, trade and investment, and sovereignty and rule of law, with the goal of sustaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and the enduring partnership between the two countries, she said. Battulga is the first Mongolian head of state to visit the US in eight years. The then Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj visited the US in June 2011.

The diplomatic relationship between the two countries is fairly new. It was only in 1987 that Mongolia and the US established a diplomatic relationship. In 2004, during the visit of President Natsagiyn Bagabandi, the US and Mongolia had declared "a new era of cooperation and comprehensive partnership between their two democratic countries, based on shared values and common strategic interests". In 2005, the then US President George W Bush visited Mongolia. The then-Vice President Joe Biden traveled to the country in 2011.