Mongolian President Reaffirms Ties with Germany

Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaad reaffirmed the close ties between his country and Germany at the University of Leipzig. The goal is to further develop the strategic partnership, preserve the valuable legacy of the past century, and responsibly pass it on to the younger generation, he said during the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. The plaque commemorates the Leipzig researcher Erich Haenisch and his Mongolian student Natsagdorj Dashdorj. Beginning in 1926, they worked in Leipzig on the text “The Secret History of the Mongols,” which was translated into German for the first time.

President: Mongolia Is Asia’s Champion in German Language Proficiency

“While relations between states and at the government level are strengthened by treaties and agreements, true friendship between peoples arises from trust and mutual understanding among individuals,” the president emphasized. One percent of the Mongolian population is fluent in German and is very familiar with Germany; with this ratio, the country is, in a sense, the champion of Asia.

Leipzig: A Center for Mongolian Studies as Early as the 19th Century

Eva Inés Obergfell, Rector of the University of Leipzig, discussed the history of Mongolian studies at the university. As early as 1882, the first course in Mongolian was offered. Since the late 19th century, Leipzig has developed into a center for German and European Mongolian studies. During the GDR era, students from Mongolia came to Leipzig to learn German and prepare for their further studies. With the start of the winter semester, another 13 students from Mongolia began their studies. Tradition is something alive when it is not only preserved but also used to develop something new.

Mongolian President Holds Meetings in Leipzig and Dresden

During the meeting in Leipzig, cooperation agreements were also exchanged between Saxon and Mongolian universities. In the afternoon, the president planned to travel on to Dresden, where meetings with Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and State Parliament President Alexander Dierks were on the agenda. Following a visit to the Old Masters Picture Gallery, a meeting with Mongolian students was also planned in Dresden.