The Rwandan and Mongolian governments have committed to establish diplomatic relations to promote close cooperation between the two countries.

In a joint statement issued in New York on Monday, Rwanda’s Permanent representative to the UN Amb. Eugene Richard Gasana and his Mongolian counterpart, Amb. Och OD said the cooperation will be in political, economic and humanitarian areas.

"The two countries are convinced that the establishment of diplomatic relations is in line with the interest of both states and will further strengthen international peace and security,” read the statement.

The landlocked Central Asian country, Mongolia is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, is home to about 45 per cent of its estimated 2.9 million people. 

Mongolia is said to be the most sparsely populated country in the world.

The country has very limited arable land, as much of its area is covered by steppes, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south.

The most dominant economic activity in Mongolia is herding and agriculture, although development of extensive mineral deposits of copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold have boosted industrial production.

Besides mining (21.8% of GDP) and agriculture (16% of GDP), wholesale, retail trade, services like, transportation and storage, and real estate contribute a lot to the country’s income. Minerals represent more than 80 per cent of Mongolia’s exports.