DG THOMAS VISITS MONGOLIA MARCH 18-19

UNCLAS ULAANBAATAR 000126 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY TEXT STATE FOR M, HR, EAP/FO, EAP/CM EAP/EX, and FSI for Whiteside E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT PREL ECON MG SUBJECT: DG THOMAS VISITS MONGOLIA MARCH 18-19 REF: Ulaanbaatar 0117 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: As part of a multi-stop tour of the EAP region, Director General Ambassador Harry Thomas and James Forbes, Office Director, HR/ER, visited Ulaanbaatar March 18-19. While in Ulaanbaatar, Ambassador Thomas met with the Ambassador and DCM, the Management section, Entry-Level Officers, and other section heads. The DG led town hall meetings with Locally Engaged Staff and with Direct Hire Americans and Eligible Family Members. Ambassador Thomas also met with MFA State Secretary Bekhbat (Ambassador-designate to the US) (reftel) as well as key advisors to the President and the Prime Minister. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) During his meetings with the Ambassador and other Embassy staff members, DG Thomas stressed he had come to post to listen carefully to staff concerns and to carry these concerns back to U/S Kennedy and Secretary Rice. The Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the visit and emphasized that continuing strong relations between the US and Mongolia make this post increasingly busy for its relatively modest size. Growth in activity has led to increased staffing needs, while new personnel authorized have not kept pace. Post has requested again in the MSP a Financial Management Officer, a second OMS, an additional Consular Officer, and a second Economics Officer. The Ambassador also stressed that this growth has placed a tremendous strain on the Embassy's aging facilities. These concerns were echoed during the meetings with the Management Section. ¶3. (SBU) The Town Hall meeting with the LES focused on concerns about salary and benefits. Attendees noted that no salary increases have occurred in recent years, and that benefits available through GOM- provided health care and retirement systems are inadequate. Post management pledged to work with the DG's office to explore solutions to these important issues. ¶4. (SBU) At the Town Hall Meeting with Americans, DG Thomas and Director Forbes discussed recent HR initiatives including plans to streamline the assignments process. Questions and comments focused on concern over LES salary and benefits, concerns about worldwide staffing gaps, and leave and other benefits, including post's recent reduction in its differential rate. ¶5. (SBU) In addition to meeting with Embassy staff, the DG also met with Mongolia's Foreign Ministry State Secretary (and Ambassador-designate to the U.S.) Kh. Bekhbat, who expressed interest in building a cooperative relationship between the two countries' diplomatic training facilities. Bekhbat said the Mongolian Government is establishing a diplomatic "Research and Training Center" (RTC) in Ulaanbaatar, primarily for Foreign Ministry diplomats but also for officials of other ministries who deal with foreign affairs issues. The RTC will be located at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Headquarters and is expected to begin preliminary operations by August. Bekhbat said support for the RTC is "entirely dependent" on the MFA, which currently has around 100 officials serving in Mongolia and another 150 to 160 abroad at diplomatic missions. Bekhbat said Mongolia recruits diplomatic candidates through highly competitive exams that are given roughly once every two years. (In 2006, 60 people applied and 10 or 12 were offered jobs.) Bekhbat noted that the MFA sends many of its newer diplomats overseas for training in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Japan or Austria -- countries that offer fellowships for this purpose. DG Thomas congratulated Bekhbat on his assignment to Washington and said he would contact FSI Director Whiteside to invite Bekhbat to visit FSI. The DG noted that the USG has realized significant cost savings by offering distance-learning courses and having trainers make regional visits. ¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador also hosted a lunch for DG Thomas that included Foreign Policy Advisors to the President, Tsogtbaatar, and to the Prime Minister, Jambaldorj, as well as MFA America's Bureau Acting Director Monkhou. During lunch, the participants discussed the challenges that Mongolia faces as it defines the laws that will govern involvement by foreign companies in developing its vast mineral resources. They also discussed Mongolian foreign policy and Mongolia's success at maintaining good relationships with its powerful neighbors, Russia and China, while also developing very strong "third neighbor" friendships with Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the United States. DG Thomas expressed his appreciation for Mongolia's continued support of the War on Terror and for sending the ninth rotation of troops to Iraq. ¶7. (U) DG Thomas departed post and did not have an opportunity to clear this cable. MINTON