Khaltmaagiin Battulga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Khaltmaagiin Battulga
Халтмаагийн Баттулга
Battulga in 2019
5th President of Mongolia
In office 10 July 2017 – 25 June 2021
Prime Minister	Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene
Preceded by	Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
Succeeded by	Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh
Member of the State Great Khural
In office 2004–2016
Constituency	Bayankhongor Province
In office 2008–2012
Constituency	Bayankhongor Province
In office 2012–2016
Constituency	Bayankhongor Province
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 July 2024
Constituency	4th, Bulgan, Khövsgöl, Orkhon Provinces
Minister of Industry and Agriculture
In office 2012–2014
Prime Minister	Norovyn Altankhuyag
Preceded by	Post established
Succeeded by	Sharavdorjiin Tüvdendorj
Minister of Road, Transport, Construction and Urban development
In office 2008–2012
Prime Minister	Sanjaagiin Bayar Sükhbaataryn Batbold
Preceded by	Tserendashiin Tsolmon
Succeeded by	Tsedeviin Dashdorj
Chairman of Steering committee of the Mongolian Democratic Union
In office 2006–2017
President of the Mongolian Judo Association
In office 2006–2017
Personal details
Born	(1963-03-03) 3 March 1963 (age 62) Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian People's Republic
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	School of Fine Arts of Mongolia
Khaltmaagiin Battulga Medal record Representing  Mongolia Men's Sambo World Championships Gold 1983 Kiev –52 kg Silver 1986 Saint-Jean-de-Luz –52 kg Bronze 1988 Montreal –57 kg Silver 1990 Moscow –57 kg Friendship Games Silver 1984 Ulaanbaatar –57 kg World Cup Silver 1987 Rabat –52 kg Silver 1988 Tokyo –52 kg Gold 1989 Ulaanbaatar –52 kg

Khaltmaagiin Battulga (born 3 March 1963) is a Mongolian politician and a skilled sambo wrestler. He served as the fifth president of Mongolia from 2017 to 2021. Before becoming president, he was a Member of the State Great Khural (Mongolia's parliament) from 2004 to 2016. He also held important roles as Minister of Roads, Transportation, Construction, and Urban Development. In 2017, he became the first president in modern Mongolian history to win a run-off election. He was re-elected as a Member of the State Great Khural in 2024.

Early Life and Career

Battulga was born in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on 3 March 1963. He is the second of three children. His parents came from Bayankhongor Province. After a big flood in 1966, his family moved to a traditional ger in Ulaanbaatar. He finished secondary school in 1978 and then studied painting at the School of Fine Arts of Mongolia, graduating in 1982. During his time at art school, he sold his paintings to tourists.

Starting a Business

In 1990, Battulga began a business making and selling jeans in Mongolia and Hungary. He later started an import-export business, trading electronics from Singapore to Mongolia, Russia, and Eastern Europe. He named his first company Genco. This company later bought parts of state-owned businesses like the Bayangol Hotel and the Makh-Impex meat-processing factory.

Wrestling Achievements

Battulga grew up practicing Mongolian traditional wrestling, as his father was a coach. He became a sambo wrestler and competed for Mongolia from 1983 to 1990. He won a gold medal at the 1983 World Sambo Championships and the 1989 World Cup. He also earned several other medals at World Championships, World Cups, and the Friendship Games. In 1995, he was recognized as a Merited Sportsman of Mongolia. He became the Chairman of the Mongolian Judo Federation in 2006. Under his leadership, Mongolian judokas achieved their first Olympic championships.

Political Journey

Battulga with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku.

In 2004, Battulga was elected as a Member of Parliament for Bayankhongor Province. He was re-elected three more times, serving until 2016, and again in 2024. From 2008 to 2012, he served as the Minister of Roads and Transport. In 2012, he was appointed Minister of Industry and Agriculture.

Presidential Election

The 2017 Mongolian presidential election took place on 26 June 2017. The previous president could not run again. Battulga ran as the candidate for the Democratic Party. He competed against former Prime Minister Miyeegombyn Enkhbold. For the first time in Mongolia's history, no candidate won more than half the votes in the first round. This led to a second round, or run-off election, between Battulga and Enkhbold on 7 July. Battulga won the run-off election with 50.61% of the votes.

The "Mongolia Will Win" movement, also known as "Moya," grew from President Battulga's 2017 election slogan, which meant "Mongolia Will Win." Moya supporters are a diverse group who share a strong sense of Mongolian pride.

Presidency (2017–2021)

Taking Office

Battulga's inauguration ceremony was held at the State Palace on 10 July 2017. During his speech, he spoke about his plans for Mongolia's development. He also promised to keep good relationships with neighboring countries like Russia and China. He emphasized the importance of Mongolia's "Third neighbor policy", which refers to strengthening ties with countries like the United States. After the ceremony, he visited monuments to important Mongolian figures like Damdin Sükhbaatar and Chinggis Khaan. He also received the official symbols of the presidency.

Since becoming president, Battulga encouraged people to place their hand on their heart when the national anthem of Mongolia is played.

Domestic Focus

Battulga focused on several domestic issues during his presidency. He spoke about the need to improve the country's systems to solve national challenges.

Constitutional Changes

In March 2019, the parliament passed a law that gave the National Security Council of Mongolia power to suggest removing judges and prosecutors. Battulga's party argued that this law could weaken the country's system of separate government powers and its democracy.

International Relations

Vladimir Putin and Battulga Khaltmaa in Vladivostok.

Battulga is often seen as a leader who favors strong ties with Russia, partly because he speaks Russian. He is sometimes compared to Russian President Vladimir Putin because both share a love for judo. When they met in 2017, Putin said their shared sport would help them build a good relationship.

Battulga has also expressed concerns about Mongolia's economy relying too much on China.

In June 2018, after a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, Battulga congratulated both leaders. He called the meeting a very important event for the region. He later invited Kim to Mongolia for a state visit.

Battulga with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

Global Connections

In March 2018, Battulga asked U.S. President Trump for more trade with Mongolia. He explained that economic problems could make Mongolia unstable. He said that while Mongolia is a "democracy," this alone does not guarantee economic growth in a region where other countries are not democracies. He believed that U.S. trade and investment could help prevent Mongolia from moving away from democracy. In June 2019, during a visit to Kyrgyzstan, Battulga opened the Mongolian Embassy in Bishkek.

Presidential Trips Abroad

List of foreign visits by Khaltmaagiin Battulga
Date	Country	City	Type of visit/Reason for visit
29 August–1 September 2017	Hungary	Budapest	2017 World Judo Championships
4–7 September 2017	Russia	Vladivostok	Eastern Economic Forum
9–10 June 2018	China	Qingdao	Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
11–13 September 2018	Russia	Vladivostok	Eastern Economic Forum
24 September 2018	Azerbaijan	Baku	Working visit
18–19 October 2018	Belgium	Brussels	12th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit
22–26 October 2018	Switzerland	Geneva	2018 World Investment Forum
24–28 April 2019	China	Beijing	State visit
12–14 June 2019	Kyrgyzstan	Bishkek	State visit
30 July–1 August 2019	United States	Washington, D.C.	State visit
4–5 September 2019	Russia	Vladivostok	Eastern Economic Forum
18–23 September 2019	India	New Delhi	State visit
19 January 2020	Switzerland	Davos	World Economic Forum
27 January 2020	Norway	Oslo	Working visit
27 February 2020	China	Beijing	State visit

Personal Life

Khaltmaagiin Battulga lives with Angelique Davain. He has two sets of twin sons and one daughter. Besides Mongolian, he also speaks Russian and English.

Residence

In 2017, after becoming president, Battulga decided to live in the "Winter Palace" in central Ulaanbaatar. This building was once the home of Marshal Khorloogiin Choibalsan. It is very close to the State House, so he could walk to work.

Contributions to Society

Battulga helped fund the building of the impressive Chingis Khan Equestrian Statue near Ulaanbaatar. This statue celebrates Mongolian national pride and has become a major tourist attraction.

As President of the Mongolian Judo Association, he played a key role in the success of Mongolian judo. Under his guidance, Mongolian judoka Tuvshinbayar Naidan became an Olympic judo champion in Beijing in 2008. Thanks to these efforts, judo is now one of the most popular sports in Mongolia.

See also

In Spanish: Khaltmaagiin Battulga para niños