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