International Journal of Social Research and Development

authors
Manish Kumar Pujari

abstract
This articles will examine Mongolia’s “third neighbour policy” and its effects on Mongolia-Japan relations. Foreign policy is a business of engagement, engagement with neighbours, with world powers, with as many as countries of the world as possible, engagement for political reasons, engagement for economic reasons, for peace and development for security reasons and for energy considerations. In the wake of the international socialist economic system's collapse and the disintegration of the former Soviet Union, Mongolians began to pursue an independent and non-aligned foreign policy. Mongolia is landlocked between Russia and China and seeks cordial relations with both nations. At the same time, Mongolia has sought to advance its regional and global relations. Mongolia’s ties with Japan and South Korea are particularly strong. In the frame of the ‘Third Neighbour Policy’ Mongolia advances bilateral and multilateral relationships with developed and democratic countries in the political, economic, cultural, humanitarian areas. Mongolia-Japan cooperation in general and their increasing cooperation in post-Cold War era, in particular, is an extension of Mongolia’s ‘third neighbour’ policy where Mongolia wants to lessen its economic and political dependence from its two permanent neighbours, i.e. Russia and China. The central focus of Mongolia’s ‘third neighbour’ policy is to develop a strategic partnership with Japan as well as comprehensive partnerships with U.S, Germany, India, the Republic of Korea and expanded partnership with Canada and Australia. This article postulates that adoption of ‘third neighbour’ policy was a geostrategic need of Mongolia to avoid control of its two geographic neighbours i.e. Russia and China. This article examines Mongolia’s third neighbour policy and its impact on Mongolia-Japan relations.