Voices From Central Asia No. 1, June 2012
By Mendee Jargalsaikhan
The implementation of the first Individual Partnership and Cooperation Program is a noticeable acknowledgement of Mongolia’s sustained commitment toward democratization and international peace and security.
Mongolia’s inclusion in NATO initiatives offers an opportunity for the military and security forces to expedite their transformation toward NATO-standard professionalism, and civilian control.
Mongolia’s experience may offer lessons for Central Asian states, especially in its success in creating a democratic civil-military relationship, civilian control of the military, military professionalism, and determined commitments toward peacekeeping operations.
Bio
Mendee Jargalsaikhan served as Mongolia’s Defense Attaché to the United States, Chief of the Foreign Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Defense of Mongolia, and Senior Fellow at the Mongolian Institute for Strategic Studies. He is a graduate student at the Political Science Department of the University of British Columbia (UBC).
