On January 25, 2010, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith A. McHale and the Minister of Education, Culture and Science for Mongolia Yondon Otgonbayar met in Washington D.C., during the Minister’s visit to the United States. The two leaders noted that January 27 marks the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Mongolia and congratulated each other on the growth of the bilateral relationship over the last two decades. Both leaders affirmed the continuing importance of the bilateral relationship between the two countries and recognized the value of U.S.–Mongolian educational exchanges to the future development of the relationship. Both sides recognized the importance of higher education in creating the human capital necessary for the two countries to cooperate in solving the challenges and seizing the opportunities the United States and Mongolia together face in the 21st century.