National Day Address by H. E. Mr. Dashjamts Batsaikhan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Republic of Bulgaria

Dear Diplomatic Spectrum readers,

Happy Naadam, the national day of Mongolia!

Mongolians celebrate it on July 11^th. The word "naadam" translated from Mongolian means "celebration" or "games". During Naadam, traditional sports competitions are held: national wrestling, archery and horse racing, as well as many other cultural and festive events. This year, because of the COVID-19 Pandenic it was postponed.

You probably know that Mongolia is a country with vast steppes, deserts, high mountains and large rivers and lakes. There is also a very rich animal world. In the Gobi Desert you can see wild camels, as well as a real dinosaur cemetery. Many tourists are impressed not only by our nature, but also by the history, traditions, customs, culture and the way of life of our people. The government approved the tourism program Mongolia - Nomadic by Nature and took the necessary measures for the development of the national parks and tourism in the country. Both Bulgaria and sunny Mongolia are attracting more and more tourists.

I am very pleased that the friendly relations and fruitful cooperation between our countries have deepened and expanded in all areas in recent years. Last year we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Republic of Bulgaria. Our two countries planned to organize various visits, cultural events and joint exhibitions on the occasion of that anniversary, but due to the pandemic, they were postponed. We will organize them when we have the opportunity.

Our embassy organized in Sofia and Ruse the presentation of the exhibition "Mandala - the temple of the mysterious tantra" by Chojin Lama Temple Complex from Ulaanbaatar. The temple is one of the unique ensembles of Mongolian architecture, sculpture and painting from the end of the XIX century. I think that this exhibition led to great interest and was a good presentation of the art and culture of our country in Bulgaria.

I believe that the Intergovernmental Commission and its regular sessions play a very important role in the development and expansion of our trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation. This year, in Sofia, the 8th session of this commission is planned to take place, and during the meeting specific issues for intensification of trade and investments of mutual interest will be discussed.

Finally, I would like to thank the Diplomatic Spectrum team for their interest and attention to my country. I wish you all the best.

Good luck!

Dashjamts Batsaikhan,

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Republic of Bulgaria