MongoliaMinistry of Foreign Affairs
Foreign policy goals are pursued through the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, headed in 1989 by Tserenpiliin Gombosuren. The
trade aspects of foreign relations are carried out by the
Ministry of Foreign Trade
(see Foreign Economic Relations and Comecon
, ch. 3). The power of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is
limited to implementing foreign policies formulated by high-level
party organizations. That Gombosuren was only a candidate member
of the Central Committee underlines this fact.
The formulation of foreign policy is done in the name of the
party Central Committee, and it is closely controlled by top
party leaders, organizations, and departments. Foreign policy is
formulated by senior leaders in the Political Bureau who are well
attuned to Soviet foreign policy preferences. In mid-1989
Political Bureau member and party secretary Namsray appeared to
have responsibility for supervising foreign affairs. In addition,
the party Central Committee has a subordinate department
responsible for foreign relations; the head of it in mid-1989 was
concurrently a member of the Presidium of the People's Great
Hural. He probably coordinated foreign policy matters with the
chairman of the Standing Commission for Foreign Affairs of the
People's Great Hural, who also happened to be a party secretary.
In 1989 the minister of foreign affairs was assisted in
implementing foreign policy by a first deputy minister, two
deputy ministers, and heads of specialized departments. Some key
departments believed to have been responsible for specific
geographic areas were: number one, the Soviet Union,
Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany),
and Poland; number two, remaining European countries; number
three, East Asia and Southeast Asia; and number four, South Asia,
West Asia, and Africa. Additional departments handled cultural
affairs, treaties and archives, relations with international
organizations, legal affairs, protocol, the administration of
diplomatic agencies, the press, and other matters.
Data as of June 1989
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