An expert-level discussion was convened to explore the establishment of a social protection agreement between Mongolia and the Republic of Austria.

As part of the Government of Mongolia's efforts to safeguard the social protection rights of its citizens residing abroad, particularly in collaboration with other nations, the initiative to establish such agreements is paramount.

In pursuit of this objective, representatives from Mongolia and Austria engaged in discussions at the expert level to lay the groundwork for a Social Protection Agreement between the two countries. The primary aim is to provide a legal framework enabling citizens of Mongolia and Austria to access pensions on equal terms as nationals of the respective countries. The inaugural meeting of the expert working group took place in Ulaanbaatar on February 27 and 28, 2024.

During the meeting, the Austrian delegation, led by Bernhard Spiegel, Director of Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection, and the Mongolian side, represented by E. Gankhuu, State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, and A. Khishigbayar, Director of the Policy and Planning Department, engaged in fruitful negotiations. Discussions centered on outlining the principles, scope, and general content of the proposed agreement, with consensus reached at the expert level.

It was decided to convene the next round of negotiations in May 2024, underscoring the commitment of both parties to advance discussions and move closer towards establishing a comprehensive Social Protection Agreement between Mongolia and the Republic of Austria.