The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Mongolia's Quest for Security.

In 2014 the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) paved the way for Mongolia to accede to full membership.Historically, Mongolia's relations with the outside world were dominated by its relationship with China and Russia, which are Mongolia's sole geographic neighbours. Even in light of the strong development of Mongolia's "Third Neighbour" policy, China and Russia continue to be important factors in Mongolia's foreign policy, besides being the largest and most powerful members of the SCO. Mongolia's decision to join the SCO, however, was made to enhance Mongolian security. The decision did not necessarily result from the Sino-Russian geopolitical pressure, but the geographic as well as political and economic realities of Mongolia's existence mean it will inevitably maintain close ties with Beijing and Moscow. This paper argues that Mongolian accession to the SCO will not fundamentally alter the country's postcommunist foreign policy of balancing between China, Russia and Mongolia's "third neighbour", but rather will bring many benefits for Mongolian security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]