The Society’s President, Ambassador Michael Klecheski (Ret.), Presents a Lecture on Mongolia’s Independence
Ambassador Michael Klecheski, the U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia from 2019 to 2022, presented a Mongolia Society lecture, “Mongolia’s Third Neighbor Policy in Practice: A Case Study from a former U.S. Ambassador’s Years in Mongolia,” on February 20, 2024. Lecture attendees–students, faculty, and Mongolia Society members–gathered around a large discussion table at the Global and International Studies Building on the campus of Indiana University, Bloomington, or watched via a Zoom link.
The Mongolia Society’s President, Amb. Michael Klecheski
The Ambassador discussed the challenges and successes that helped strengthen Mongolia’s independence “in a tough neighborhood.” In response to the question, “How does Mongolia, landlocked between China and Russia, maintain its independence and democratic system?,” he pointed to the nation’s so-called “third neighbor” policy, which seeks out good ties with other countries, the United States in particular, as being one key factor in maintaining its independence. As the U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia, Michael Klecheski was instrumental in that policy’s implementation and he shared his own personal experiences with this process.
A video recording of this lecture is available here: YouTube
Michael Klecheski retired from the U.S. State Department after his years as Ambassador to Mongolia. That was the last assignment of his over 35 years as an American diplomat, during which he served abroad in Russia, Kazakhstan and elsewhere, and in Washington D.C. on the Department’s 24-hour Operations Center and the NATO Desk. He also served as Director (and for a time, Acting Senior Director) for Russia at the National Security Council.
Currently President of The Mongolia Society, the Ambassador has a M.A. and M.Phil from Columbia University in political science and a BSFS (Bachelor of the Science of Foreign Service) from Georgetown University. He also has an honorary doctorate from the Mongolian National University.
