Minister of Foreign Affairs B.Battsetseg submitted a draft resolution on the opening of a consulate in Chicago, USA to Speaker of Parliament G.Zandanshatar on June 23.

In accordance with Article 6.4 of the Law on Diplomatic Service and the decision of the Standing Committee on Security and Foreign Policy, based on US approval, the draft resolution on the opening of a consulate in Chicago was developed.

According to the minister, the number of Mongolians traveling, working, and studying in the US is growing every year, and there are currently about 30,000 Mongolians living in the country, of whom about 10,000 are studying.

Around 6,000 Mongolians live near Washington, 8,000 in around Chicago, 2,000 in Los Angeles, 4,000 in San Francisco, and 1,500 in Seattle. Consular services are available to Mongolians living in the west and east coast cities, but the government believes that consular services need to be closer to those living in the central US, particularly around Chicago.

The bill initiators believe that when the embassy provides consular services in Chicago, it will serve many Mongolians living in neighboring states (Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri and Minnesota). The opening of a consulate in Chicago, a major US trade, economic, banking, and tourism center with a population of about 8,000 Mongolians, is expected to expand trade, economic, cultural, and educational ties between the two countries, bring public services closer to citizens, and protect their rights and interests.

The new consulate will not incur any additional financial or budgetary costs and some of the staff of the Consulate General in San Francisco will be transferred to the consulate.

The minister stated that Mongolians in the US have moved to Chicago because of the availability of jobs, low rents and social welfare policy of Illinois.

In recent years, in the country, Mongolians have run about 50 companies in the fields of transportation, beauty, and construction, as well as three Mongolian schools, the Mongolian Citizens’ Association in Chicago, and the Mongolian Center.