The "third neighbor" as an ideological political concept

The main researcher's attention is focused on the analysis of the substantive content of the concept "third neighbor" used in the foreign policy of the post-socialist Mongolia. Being geographically closed between Russia and China, Mongolia seeks to expand its external partners using the strategy of a "multi-pillar" foreign policy. The central place of the diversification strategy of Mongolia's foreign relations is the concept of "third neighbor". Appearing in the early 1990s, the concept "third neighbor" is widely used in most documents on Mongolia's foreign policy. Content analysis of these documents shows that the concept includes the major powers of the West (USA, Canada, EU countries) and its allies (Japan, South Korea, India, Turkey). As a result, the concept "third neighbor" becomes an ideological and political concept, the essence of which is "common democratic values". Mongolia, as a country with relatively small foreign policy resources, demonstrates an extremely high degree of dependence on the outside world. First of all, it concerns economic aid and investment. Since the 1990s, it is the collective West the plays the role of one important source of the economic development of Mongolia. This fact has a major impact on the institutional framing of the political regime of Mongolia that accepts the rules of the game of the "third neighbor" in exchange for certain political and economic preferences. The principle of "common values" is an important channel of influence of foreign states on Mongolia. In an effort to develop and deepen the democratization process, the Mongolian leaders one way or another focused on the experience of the leading democracies of the West that are the main expertise and qualification centers for Mongolia. Moreover, positioning itself on the international stage as a developed democracy for Mongolia is a means of ensuring national security, sovereignty, economic development and international prestige. Affecting Mongolia through various political, economic, cultural and educational channels, the "third neighbor" is actively opposed to its immediate neighbors - Russia and China. In the framework of the democratic discourse, the core of the concept "third neighbor", Russia and China are drawn as the authoritarian and aggressive neighbors of Mongolia, threatening its sovereignty and security. In this regard, in its relations with Mongolia the Russian side needs to take into account extra-regional players capable of damaging Russian interests in Mongolia.

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