Minister Wheeler visits Mongolia
UK Minister of State of Asia and the Pacific, Heather Wheeler MP, was in Mongolia on 2 and 3 October following appointment as the Foreign Office’s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State on 26 July.
Minister Wheeler met the Minister of Environment and Tourism, the Minister of Mining and Heavy Industries, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Science, the Deputy Minister of Finance, and the State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This was Minister Wheeler’s sixth overseas visit. As part of the visit, on 2 October, she led the official opening ceremony of the British Embassy in Ulaanbaatar at the Shangri-La Office (Level 19). The Embassy moved from its old address on Peace Avenue after 51 years of occupancy, to the Shangri-La complex in the centre of town.
Minister Wheeler also met the Minister of Environment and Tourism, the Minister of Mining and Heavy Industries, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Science, the Deputy Minister of Finance, and the State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her discussions were broad-ranging and covered trade and investment, democracy, media freedom, climate change, the Illegal Wildlife Trade, and wider geo-strategic issues.
Other engagements
With a focus on UK-Mongolia relationship, Minister Wheeler held a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and answered questions from several Mongolian media outlets. Additionally, the Minister gave a keynote speech at the UK Programmes Alumni Reception. On 3 October, the Minister travelled from Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi desert to visit the Oyu Tolgoi mine.