Egypt–Mongolia relations date back to the wars betweenEgypt and theMongol Empire from 1260 to 1335 AD.[1] Official relations between the modern states were established in 1964.[2]Cairo currently hostsMongolia's only embassy on theAfrican continent.[3] The countries have signed various agreements on bilateral cooperation.[4]
TheSilk Road connected the ancient civilizations of Egypt and China, passing through Mongolia. Silk may have been brought to Egypt through this route as early as 3,000 years ago.
TheMongol Empire, founded byGenghis Khan (c. 1162–1227 AD) had established unified political authority through the length of the Silk Road fromBeijing toBaghdad by 1258.[5] Following the capture of Baghdad byHulagu Khan, the Mongols advanced intoSyria andPalestine. With Hulagu's main forces occupied elsewhere, a relatively small Mongol-led army was defeated by an EgyptianMamluk army in theBattle of Ain Jalut in 1260.[6] The clash has been described as one of the most significant battles of world history, checking the further expansion of the Mongol Empire towards the southwest and profoundly influencing the future course of Arab and European history.[7]
In 1401 a fresh Mongol threat appeared in the person ofTimurlane, who invadedSyria (then part of the Mamluk Sultanate) with a huge army and sackedAleppo andDamascus, slaughtering the inhabitants. The Mamluks fought back but were forced to retire to Egypt, and only avoided defeat when Timur moved east in preparation for an attack on China, dying in 1405 before he could return to complete his conquest of the Middle East. This was the last time Egypt was threatened by the Mongols.[16]
After Egypt was absorbed by the Ottoman Empire in 1517, it did not regain full independence until theEgyptian Revolution of 1952, led byGamal Abdel Nasser. It was during Nasser's presidency of Egypt that formal relations between the modern states of Egypt and Mongolia were established in 1964.[2]
In June 2001, a Mongolian parliamentary delegation visited Egypt, and met with the president of the National Assembly of Egypt.[17] The group signed a cooperation agreement with Egypt, and agreed to increase the number of Mongolian students attending courses in Egypt.[18]
In December 2003, the Foreign Minister of Egypt met his Mongolian counterpart.[19]
Mongolian PresidentNatsagiin Bagabandi paid an official visit to Egypt in April 2004 where he met withPresident of EgyptHosni Mubarak. The two leaders discussed problems in Palestine and Iraq, and also discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations.[20] Later in the visit, the two countries signed an executive protocol for cultural cooperation and agreements on air services, economic cooperation and investments protection.[21]
In March 2007, the Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation visited Ulan Bator where he met Mongolian Prime MinisterMiyeegombyn Enkhbold.[23]
In October 2008 the Secretary General of the Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with the Commonwealth visited Ulaanbaatar where he met with ministers and discussed enhanced cooperation between Egypt and Mongolia. The Mongolian officials said they welcomed the technical support provided by the fund in training and other economic benefits.[24]
In 2001, Mongolia sent policemen to Egypt to attend trainings sessions on anti-terrorism and the prevention ofdrug trafficking.[25] In 2008, Mongolian officials visited Egypt to obtain information on the role of anti-corruption officials.[26]
^Thomas T. Allsen (1997).Commodity and exchange in the Mongol Empire: a cultural history of Islamic textiles. Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-58301-2.
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