Wow I never knew my blog got so many readers. =) Thanks to everyone for your responses to the Bush visit post.

I should note Presidents Enkhbayar and Bush mentioned Peace Corps in their joint statement about continuing good relations between our countries. It was recently published in the Mongol Messenger and I read it this week. Actually the reason I would have liked to see Peace Corps or another like org. mentioned in the speech wasn't to flout our contributions as volunteers so much as to give some attention to the more everyday relationships two countries can share in a peaceful way. The host country agencies...Mongolian schools and organizations that request volunteers, deserve some recognition for the quite difficult work involved in hosting a foreigner for two years at a time and willingness to listen to their ideas and help them with their efforts. So also do the hundreds of Mongolian citizens who offer their support, kindness and love for no other reason than because they are good, kind and loving people.

The point of Bush's speech was to highlight cooperation between two countries, not to brag about his country's contribution. However, cooperation involves partnership between two entities and what I was saying is that groups such as Peace Corps (certainly not Peace Corps only or even most notably Peace Corps) are an excellent example of such partnership. Lastly I certainly never suggested the President praise Peace Corps instead of Mongolian peacekeepers who have done noble work. The president had 40 minutes alloted to him and he used 13; there was room for both.

Thanks, Yan, for the correction...July 11 (when Naadam is celebrated) is the National holiday for greater distance between China and Monglia while Nov. 26 marks the foundation of the Mongolian People's Republic.