이명박 전 대통령은 7월 29일 몽골 수도 울란바토르에서 열리는‘몽골-민주주의 25주년’기념 행사에 참석했습니다.

 
이 전 대통령은 “창문 한 장 깨지도 않고, 피 한 방울 흘리지도 않고 인류 역사상 유례가 없을 정도로 평화적으로 민주주의를 성취하였다는 점에서 몽골 국민들의 위대한 승리”라고 평가하며, 엘벡도르지 대통령을 비롯한 몽골 지도자들의 투철한 신념과 리더십, 몽골 국민들의 열망에 찬사를 보냈습니다.

몽골은 25년 전 민주 총선을 통해 평화적으로 민주주의를 성취했으며,   몽골은 25년 전 민주총선을 실시하여 공산독재시대를 마감하고 민주화의 시대를 열었으며 민주화와 함께 도입한 시장경제제도는 세계 10대 자원부국이라는 몽골의 잠재력에 불을 지펴 오늘날 연 10% 내외의 고속성장을 이끌어 왔습니다.

이 전 대통령은 행사 후 엥흐볼드 국회의장이 주최하는 오찬에 참석했으며, 엘벡도르지 대통령과 면담 및 만찬을 함께 하고  현지 교민들과의 만남의 자리도 가질 예정입니다. 

다음은 몽골 민주화 25주년 기념행사에서 이 전 대통령의 축사전문입니다.

President Elbegdorj, 
Distinguished guests,

It is an honor for me to take part in celebrating the 25th anniversary of Mongolian democracy.

During my State Visit as President of the Republic of Korea in 2011, President Elbegdorj and I elevated our bilateral ties to a "Comprehensive Partnership" and adopted the "Mid-term Action Plan" to strengthen our relations. For these reasons, I am personally delighted to reunite with my good friend, President Elbegdorj, as well as with my dear Mongolian friends and colleagues.

Today, we are celebrating 25 years of Mongolian democracy. 25 years ago today, Mongolia ended communist rule and opened the door to a new era of democracy by holding its first free general elections. Mongolian democracy was all the more remarkable because of the way it was achieved - not a single window was broken, not a single drop of blood was shed. No other country in the world ever achieved democracy in such a peaceful manner. The market economy that followed paved the way for rapid economic growth. It allowed Mongolia to tap into its vast potential, thereby ensuring continued growth and prosperity for its people.

For this, I wish to express my deep admiration for President Elbegdorj for his commitment towards democracy and dedication to improving the lives of all Mongolians. And I salute the people of Mongolia. Democracy belongs to the people and I wish that every man, woman and child in Mongolia will enjoy the freedom and prosperity that democracy brings.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Koreans and Mongolians call each other "brothers" and "sisters". This is because our two countries share many strong connections and similarities, in terms of language, custom and culture. Based on such special ties, our relationship has blossomed to new heights since establishing diplomatic relations in 1990.

Today, trade volume is rising, cultural exchange is robust and people to people exchanges have increased every year. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our bilateral relations, I am confident that Koreans and Mongolians will become even closer.

Once again, I wish to congratulate President Elbegdorj and the Mongolian people on the 25th anniversary of Mongolian democracy. May this great nation enjoy continued success, prosperity and freedom!