First Iceland Day Celebrated in Ulaanbaatar
Iceland Day was celebrated for the first time in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, last week. The event brought together approximately 70 guests, including representatives from the Government of Mongolia, the private and financial sectors, as well as longstanding partners and friends of Iceland.
The event was opened with welcoming remarks by Mr. Bold Magvan, Honorary Consul of Iceland in Mongolia, and the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Iceland. Both speakers reaffirmed the longstanding friendship and expanding cooperation between the two countries, and expressed appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by Mongolia.
Keynote addresses were delivered by Mr. Ásmundur Einar Daðason and Mr. Teitur Erlingsson, who shared perspectives on Iceland’s experience in sustainable agriculture and livestock management. Particular emphasis was placed on Iceland’s expertise in sheep farming, and the potential for enhanced collaboration with Mongolia in this important sector of mutual interest.
In advance of the Iceland Day event, the Deputy Head of Mission held a meeting with Mongolian alumni of the GRÓ training programmes. Mongolia has long been a valued partner of GRÓ, and this engagement provided a welcome opportunity to reconnect with professionals whose contributions continue to strengthen the Iceland–Mongolia partnership.
The past month also marked a significant milestone in the bilateral relationship, with the Foreign Ministers of Iceland and Mongolia holding their first official bilateral meeting. A key outcome of this engagement was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on enhanced collaboration, as well as an agreement to establish a regular political dialogue—both of which represent important steps in deepening bilateral relations.
Despite the geographical distance between the two nations, Iceland and Mongolia share a number of key priorities. Among these is the challenge of land degradation—a pressing issue where our countries are already collaborating meaningfully. Within the United Nations framework, Iceland and Mongolia work closely together as members of the Group of Friends on Combatting Land Degradation and Desertification. Iceland has long played an active role in this field, particularly through the UNCCD COP process, and looks forward to participating at the ministerial level when Mongolia hosts COP 17 in 2026.
A cornerstone of Iceland’s international engagement in this area is the GRÓ Land Restoration Training Programme, under the auspices of UNESCO. Since its establishment in 2007, Mongolia has been one of GRÓ’s most engaged and valued partners. With 37 Mongolian fellows having completed the programme, Mongolia now represents the largest group of GRÓ-LRT alumni worldwide. Many of these alumni were present at the event, and their continued commitment to applying this expertise in support of sustainable development in Mongolia is both recognized and deeply appreciated.
A notable example is Dr. Sumjidmaa Sainnemekh, the first PhD student sponsored by GRÓ-LRT. Dr. Sainnemekh completed her doctorate at the Agricultural University of Iceland in 2022 and currently serves as a rangeland management specialist with The Nature Conservancy in Mongolia.
The cooperation also extends into the field of geothermal energy. Through the GRÓ Geothermal Training Programme, sixteen Mongolian experts have received advanced technical training. In 2023, the programme conducted a mission to Mongolia to deepen institutional partnerships and identify new candidates. Among the selected participants was Mr. Purevsuren Dorj, who was awarded a Master’s scholarship and now leads the Renewable Energy Division at the National Energy Center of Mongolia.
In addition, one Mongolian fellow has completed the GRÓ Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme. Gender equality and the empowerment of women remain core priorities for Iceland’s international engagement and this programme will provide further opportunities for cooperation.
Looking ahead, a new opportunity for engagement is emerging through the creation of national alumni networks by the GRÓ Centre. These volunteer-led associations bring together alumni from all four GRÓ training programmes—Land Restoration, Geothermal Energy, Fisheries, and Gender Equality. They are designed to promote ongoing professional development, foster peer collaboration, and strengthen the relationship between GRÓ alumni and Iceland. These networks also provide an important platform for continued engagement with the Icelandic Embassy and with UNESCO. This new network exemplifies the growing depth and breadth of Iceland–Mongolia cooperation, extending beyond institutional frameworks to dynamic, people-to-people connections that reflect our shared values and common goals.
The celebration of Iceland Day in Ulaanbaatar marked not only a cultural milestone, but also a reaffirmation of the warm and constructive partnership between Iceland and Mongolia—one that continues to evolve through friendship, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to sustainable development.