| Summary/Abstract |
This paper examines the history and characteristic features of the "Third Neighbor" concept that has guided Mongolia's foreign policy since the 1990s and prospects for its modification in the current era. The author describes the circumstances under which the concept arose and the Mongolian government's reasons for adopting it. Its features and differences from the approaches of other "small countries" conducting a multivector foreign policy are analyzed. Other factors considered are the geopolitical situation in Southeast Asia, Mongolia's geographic position, its historical experience of submission to neighboring powers, its economic problems, and the efforts of the local elite to ensure the dominance of Western values in the country since 1990. The author studies the approaches of "Third Neighbor" countries to partnership with Mongolia and their motives, noting the transition from the predominant rendering of humanitarian assistance in the initial stage to instituting mutually beneficial bilateral projects since the early 2000s. Special attention is given to gradually emerging differences between the interests and priorities of Western and Eastern
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