The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Batzetsgeg Batmunkh, met with Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, the Secretary-General of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), located in Stockholm, during her official visit to Sweden. This was reported by MidleAsianNews.
During the meeting, the minister noted the fruits of Mongolia's cooperation with this institute and discussed ways to further deepen it through the implementation of specific projects and programs.
The parties also agreed on cooperation under the resolution "Enhancing Transparency in the Funding of Electoral Candidates, Political Parties, and Campaigns," initiated by Mongolia at the 11th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption, as well as on issues related to the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding concerning the establishment of an Asian Reference Center for Election Observation in Ulaanbaatar.
Batzetsgeg also emphasized the importance of global democracy assessments conducted by the institute and research on electoral processes, which serve as valuable resources for government structures, academic institutions, and politicians both in Mongolia and in other countries. The minister discussed the possibility of expanding cooperation in this area.
At the end of the meeting, Batzetsgeg invited Kevin Casas-Zamora to visit Mongolia.
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) was founded in 1995 and is an intergovernmental organization comprising states from all continents. Mongolia became a member of this organization in 2011, and currently, there are 35 full member countries.
In June 2025, a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the establishment of the "Asian Reference Center for Election Observation" in Mongolia was signed between the General Election Commission of Mongolia and International IDEA.
IDEA regularly conducts analysis and publishes reports on the state of democracy and electoral reform in Mongolia as part of the "Global State of Democracy" (GSoD) project.
The main goal of IDEA is to promote the improvement of key democratic institutions and processes by enhancing knowledge and understanding of the issues that contribute to democratic progress. The institute brings together analysts and those directly involved in political reforms, thereby supporting democracy in both new and established democratic countries. IDEA's activities cover international, regional, and national levels, and it actively collaborates with various institutions.
