For 75 years, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has been serving as a beacon of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the world.
Several projects have been launched for more regular contacts and relations with numerous non-member countries and self-governing entities in and outside Europe. In consequence, countries like Canada, Israel and Mexico have come to enjoy observer status with the Assembly.
The Bureau of the Assembly may grant special guest status to parliaments of European non-member States which have applied for membership of the Council of Europe, and the Assembly may grant partnership for democracy status to the parliaments of non-member States. Currently, the parliaments of Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco and Palestine enjoy this status with the Assembly.
Numerous non-European countries or self-governing entities have over the years participated in Assembly conferences related to core callings of the Council of Europe and its Assembly. The guiding thought is that democracies have to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in defending essential values.
The Assembly does, however, lack the presence of and exchanges with several democracies of the Far East, despite sharing many common values with them. And yet such contacts are, to say the least, crucial at a time when the world risks turning more authoritarian. It is therefore natural that new links should be formed to promote common interests.
One such interesting country is Mongolia – a fully-fledged democratic republic under a well-functioning parliamentary government system, enjoying full diplomatic relations with institutions and countries around the world. The Mongolian parliament for its part has stated its eagerness to seek out preliminary contacts with the Assembly as part of its ‘Third-Neighbour Foreign Policy’, including the possibility of adhering to several open Council of Europe treaties.
The Assembly should investigate the possibility of establishing contacts with the Mongolian parliament.