EU-Mongolia relations have progressed extremely positively in the past months, notably the establishment of the EU Delegation in Ulaanbaatar on 2 November 2017 and the aforementioned entry into force of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

In the meeting, both the EU and Mongolia re-affirmed the importance of further enhancing their relations by working on an action plan for implementing the PCA. They exchanged views on regional and global issues and discussed opportunities for strengthening cooperation on connectivity issues.

The EU and Mongolia discussed further steps in assisting the Mongolian authorities in devising the Public Finance Management Trust Fund with the World Bank and the possible budget support operation if the conditions are met. The discussions also focussed on concrete ways in which the EU can support Mongolia in complying with its commitments on taxation jurisdiction. Both the EU and Mongolia agreed to explore the feasibility of setting up a joint working group on development cooperation in the course of the year.

The second EU-Mongolia Human Rights Dialogue was held back-to-back with the Joint Committee. Both sides discussed issues related to enhancing cooperation in multilateral fora. Regarding the possibility of reintroducing death penalty, the EU expressed its principled position as opposed to death penalty in all circumstances.

As is the case for all human rights dialogues, the EU met with civil society representatives ahead of the Dialogue, which contributes to a regular engagement with such groups.

The Subcommittee on Trade and Investment, held ahead of the Joint Committee on 10 April by videoconference reviewed the state of trade and economic cooperation with a focus on the diversification of Mongolia's economy. Discussions also focussed on "GSP+" implementation, investment opportunities and cooperation on raw materials. The Joint Committee was briefed on the outcomes of the discussion.

The Mongolian Delegation was headed by Mr TSOGTBAATAR Damdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The European Union's delegation was headed by Mr Gunnar WIEGAND, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service.

The EU and Mongolia agreed to hold their next Joint Committee meeting in 2019 in Ulaanbaatar.