Vice Presidential Pool Reports of August 2, 2023

VP pool report #1/Harris meeting with Mongolian PM Oyun-Erdene

Your VP supplemental pool was brought over to the VP's ceremonial office in the EEOB shortly after 1:40pm ET.

Vice President Harris and Prime Minister of Mongolia Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai entered the room at 2:01pm and moved behind a pair of identical lecterns adorned with what appeared to be vice-presidential seals, with US and Mongolian flags behind them.

The VP started speaking first, thanking him for coming to the US and stating "the partnership between our countries has helped to ensure stability and prosperity in the region, and the American people have a profound stake in the future of the Indo Pacific. It is in our vital interest to promote an Indo Pacific region that is open, interconnected, prosperous, secure, and resilient."

VP then noted that both she and President Biden had each to the Indo Pacific three times, and that as Vice President, she was proud to have met with nearly three dozen regional leaders here in Washington and in the region.

VP goes on to say "since we have taken office, the President and I have made it our intention and focus to reinforce our defense and deterrence commitments and our security presence in the region. We have provided an ambitious and affirmative economic agenda for the region that will deliver growth for the American people and the people in that region."

On the agenda for their meeting today, VP said they would continue to work on global challenges, including the climate crisis, human rights, and threats to democracy and international rules. She said they will also discuss the work that we will do together to "strengthen our space cooperation" in the beginnings of the "next era."

VP also noted they will sign an open skies agreement, which will open the door to direct flights between the United States and Mongolia and will increase support for cultural exchanges, tourism and business.

(VP spoke for about 3 minutes.)

At 2:04pm, Mongolian PM Oyun-Erdene began by thanking US for hosting him, and said it was a great honor to meet the first female VP in history.

He talked about how the bilateral relationship has grown and thanked the American people for continued support. He said Mongolia will always be moving forward, and talked of progress in human rights and democracy.

He then quoted Nelson Mandela, although pooler couldn't quite make out which quote, but mentioned 'dreams.' He went on to add
"Mongolia will keep dreaming and keep fighting for our democracy."

He said it was great to be back in the US, said he walked Georgetown yesterday and would want to visit friends. Finishing by saying he hopes history will look at this visit as a new start to a great friendship.

He finished speaking at 2:10pm (about 6 minutes).

VP Harris and PM Oyun-Erdene were escorted out to the balcony for pictures; print pool was escorted out of the room.

On background attributed to a White House Official:

On Wednesday, August 2, Vice President Harris will meet with Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene of Mongolia at the White House. The Vice President will reaffirm the strength of the Strategic Partnership between the United States and Mongolia and will discuss our efforts to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.

As Mongolia has been a democracy and friend for more than three decades, the Vice President and the Prime Minister will underscore the importance of strong democratic institutions and rule of law. The Vice President and the Prime Minister will discuss our economic and commercial relationship, including Mongolia's economic resilience; future cooperation in outer space, including civil and commercial cooperation; addressing the climate crisis; and a range of regional and global issues, including China and Russia.

The Vice President is announcing a series of steps to strengthen the U.S.-Mongolia Strategic Partnership. In particular, our countries will sign an Open Skies Agreement, which will facilitate air services between Mongolia and the United States and expand our commercial partnership and people-to-people ties. And we will expand our support for cultural exchanges and English-language education in Mongolia.

This meeting is part of the Vice President's consistent focus on strengthening our alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, in recognition that the Indo-Pacific directly impacts the security and prosperity of the American people. Her work has centered around upholding the international rules-based order, which has come under increasing threat in the region, and strengthening our economic and commercial partnerships throughout the region. As the Vice President has said, "the United States is a proud Pacific power, and we have a vital interest in promoting a region that is open, interconnected, prosperous, secure, and resilient."

The Vice President has been to the Indo-Pacific region 3 times in the past 2 years. In August 2021, she traveled to Singapore and Vietnam; in September 2022 she traveled to Japan and South Korea; and in November 2022 she traveled to Thailand and the Philippines. The Vice President has met with nearly 3 dozen leaders from the Indo-Pacific—including in bilateral meetings in the region and in Washington or at multilateral summits, such as the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington in May 2022, the Pacific Islands Forum in July 2022, or the APEC Leaders Meeting in Bangkok in November 2022.