By Sohn JiAe

President Moon Jae-in held summit talks with his Mongolian counterpart, President Khaltmaa Battulga, on Sept. 6 during his visit to Vladivostok, Russia. The two leaders shared their ideas on how to cooperate on regional security.

“Our two countries have many things in common, both ethnically and linguistically. We are like brother countries, as we are very close to each other, both historically and geographically,” said President Moon. He said that this meeting would help to increase the personal trust between him and the Mongolian president, and, also, would lay a solid foundation for better ties between the two countries.

President Moon Jae-in (left) shakes hands with Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga prior to a summit at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sept. 6. (Cheong Wa Dae)

The president also outlined his plan to establish the “Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative” through which six countries -- Korea, the U.S., Japan, China, Russia and Mongolia -- aim to pursue peace and security across the region by discussing ways to cooperate on threats like North Korea.

“If we work together to launch this platform, it would be possible to combine it with the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue Initiative, a consultative body for Northeast Asian security initiated by the Mongolian government," he said.

As for the current security crisis on the Korean Peninsula caused by North Korea’s ceaseless provocations, President Moon said, “It’s inevitable that we increase U.N. Security Council sanctions and pressure the regime. I call on the Mongolian government to join forces with the international community if it decides to cut off crude oil supplies to Pyongyang.”

President Battulga said, “Our government takes advantage of the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue Initiative to deter Pyongyang from conducting its nuclear weapons tests. Just like Korea, our country, too, remains divided in two: Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia. We fully understand your pain.”

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