US Embassy in Ulaanbaatar conducts outreach in localities

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Each year, the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar conducts outreach to rural areas to meet with Mongolians, discuss Embassy programs, and engage aimag leaders in education, civil society, and government. On August 17-19, 2015, staff members from the Public Affairs Office and Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy conducted a joint outreach in Chingis City, Khentii province. The staff members met with locals, including government leaders and professionals, secondary and vocational training teachers, as well as the general public, reports the Embassy. At meetings with aimag governors and educational and cultural department chief officers, Public Affairs Associate Victoria Augustine presented the areas of collaboration between the province and the U.S. Embassy. She also introduced the educational and cultural programs offered by the U.S. Embassy to Mongolians and emphasized the Embassy’s interest in increasing the involvement of professionals and students from rural parts of Mongolia in its scholarship programs. Ms. Augustine was familiarized with Millennium Challenge Account Mongolia’s project at a local vocational training center, met with the faculty and discussed the scholarship programs offered by the U.S. Government. The team also organized public presentation in Chingis City and facilitated question and answer sessions about the grants and scholarship programs funded by the U.S. Government that are available to the general public. The Consular Section team held meetings with local government leaders and representative from the local police stations, hospitals and tour agencies to discuss future collaboration, and issues concerning American citizens living in the region. Also during the trip, they met with Americans living in the province to provide them with American Citizens Service information. Since 2011 through over 10 outreach trips to the countryside the Public Affairs Office covered 18 of the 21 provinces in Mongolia.