President of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee Dušan Simonović has been awarded the Medal of Friendship, a state decoration of Mongolia, presented to him by the President of Mongolia, Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, during the first state visit of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, to Mongolia.

This is the first decoration awarded on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Montenegro and Mongolia, giving the recognition particular significance.

Simonović is participating in the visit as a member of Montenegro’s official delegation, at the invitation of President Khurelsukh. The visit takes place in the year the two countries mark two decades of diplomatic relations and is the first visit by a Montenegrin President to Mongolia since diplomatic relations were established.

The recognition acknowledges Simonović’s contribution to developing friendly relations and cooperation between Montenegro and Mongolia in sport, culture, and business.

The Montenegrin Olympic Committee was the first Montenegrin institution to establish direct cooperation with a partner institution in Mongolia. The first Memorandum of Understanding was signed in September 2023 at the Olympic House in Ulaanbaatar by Battushig Batbold, President of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee and Member of the International Olympic Committee, and Dušan Simonović, President of NOC Montenegro. Cooperation between the two Olympic organisations has continued to grow since then, strengthening cultural, sporting, and diplomatic relations between the two countries.