Ulaanbaatar: India and Mongolia have reaffirmed their commitment to closer defence cooperation, with Ulaanbaatar expressing appreciation for Indian assistance in cyber security, language training and capacity building for its armed forces.

The reaffirmation came at the 14th India-Mongolia Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting in Ulaanbaatar, co-chaired by Ishita Ganguli Tripathy, Joint Secretary in India’s Ministry of Defence, and Brigadier General Gansukh E, Deputy State Secretary of Defence of Mongolia. The two sides reviewed ongoing initiatives, assessed progress and discussed fresh avenues for cooperation, alongside an exchange of views on regional and international developments.

An important focus was the Cyber Security Training Centre established with Indian assistance at Mongolia’s National Defence University. The Indian delegation reviewed the centre’s functioning, while the Mongolian side acknowledged the value of India’s support in developing skills, sharing expertise and building the capacity of its defence personnel.

Ms Ganguli Tripathy also met Major General Usukhbayar J, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces. Both sides welcomed the progress made by their defence forces and discussed ways to carry the relationship forward.

The successful conclusion of the 18th edition of the joint military exercise Nomadic Elephant 2026 was another highlight. Conducted at the Foreign Training Node in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, from September 21 to October 3, the exercise brought together 45 personnel from each country.

Training covered small-arms handling and firing for Mongolian personnel, while the Indian Army demonstrated room-intervention drills involving coordinated movement, room clearance, communication, fire discipline and casualty evacuation. The Mongolian contingent also showcased Bokh, its traditional wrestling style, and unarmed combat.

The wider relationship was reflected in a series of parliamentary engagements in Ulaanbaatar. Former Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar met Indian MP Kumari Selja, who led an Indian women’s parliamentary delegation to the World Women Parliamentarians’ Forum. India’s Ambassador to Mongolia, H.E. Atul Malhari Gotsurve, attended the meeting. The delegation also met Foreign Minister B Battsetseg, while Mongolian lawmaker O Soronzonbold hosted a dinner in its honour.

Diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia were established in 1955, and the countries marked their 70th anniversary in 2025. Their partnership draws on deep historical, cultural and civilisational connections, including a shared Buddhist heritage. In recent years, defence cooperation has formed part of a wider agenda encompassing development and digital collaboration.

The latest engagements underline the effort by both countries to give practical shape to a longstanding friendship, with training, institutional exchanges and defence cooperation continuing to anchor their Strategic Partnership.