Mongolia’s Regional Policy in the New Era: Implications for Relations with India

This article examines the evolution of Mongolia–India relations from their deep historical and cultural foundations to their current form as a multidimensional strategic partnership. Rooted in centuries of intellectual, religious, and artistic exchange—most notably through the transmission of Buddhism and the extensive translation of Sanskrit philosophical and literary works—India has long occupied a distinctive place in Mongolian civilizational memory. The twentieth century marked the transition of this historical affinity into modern diplomacy, with India emerging as one of the earliest advocates of Mongolia’s sovereign recognition, particularly during Mongolia’s prolonged effort to join the United Nations. The study further highlights the revival and institutionalization of Indology in Mongolia, which continues to reinforce cultural and scholarly linkages. In the post-Cold War period, the symbolic notion of India as Mongolia’s “Spiritual Neighbour” was complemented by the strategic logic of Mongolia’s “Third Neighbour” foreign policy, culminating in the elevation of bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2015. The article argues that this partnership has expanded beyond cultural solidarity to include concrete economic cooperation, most notably India’s financing and technological support for the construction of Mongolia’s first oil refinery—an infrastructural project of transformative significance for Mongolia’s energy security, economic sovereignty, and geopolitical autonomy. Through an integrated analysis of historical exchange, diplomatic interaction, cultural scholarship, strategic policy, and economic collaboration, the article demonstrates how Mongolia–India relations exemplify the convergence of civilizational diplomacy and contemporary strategic interests.