OPENING ADDRESS BY PPESIDENT OF MONGOLIA KHALTMAAGIIN BATTULGA AT THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL – NAADAM
People of my motherland, my fellow countrymen who are destined to possess the blue sky and the home soil!
Mongol descendants who share the same blood and are scattered all over the world by the virtue of time and historical destiny!
We, the Mongolians, are to gloriously celebrate our National Holiday, the highest festivity of our statehood, as the firm expression of freedom, independence, unity, aspiration, bravery and deep pride in our eternal homeland treasured and relayed through generations.
From ancient times, our high ancestors have revered the sun, the moon and the sacred fire, cheered ‘the nine great white banners’ and celebrated “the three games of men” believing the festival to be the triple glorious felicity of the eternal father sky, the beloved motherland and the precious human being.
“The three games of men” is the core of the nomadic culture of the ethnic Mongols inherited through millennia, the collection of the history, beliefs, customs and national mentality as well as a critically important part of the spiritual immunity for the existence of the Mongol State.
It is a great pleasure to emphasize that, being the perfect harmony and bond between the human who loves the mother Earth and the nature, the Mongol Naadam is already recognized as a valuable spiritual heritage of the human civilization and culture.
The Mongols are the nation with the remarkable history of living for centuries on the vast steppes of the Central Asian plateau and shaping the course of the world civilization and human progress for two centuries. The intellectual strength, imperishable culture and unique heritage of our forefathers do still last all over the world.
Let us remind to ourselves that today we are creating the history to be judged in the future.
The world is going through a difficult time, and we are facing a tough challenge to overcome its adversities. The current state of the world proves that the Government of independent, free and democratic Mongolia should not waste time in implementing and ensuring a consistent policy to protect and strengthen the lives, livelihoods and economic independence of its people.
From the moment one crosses the golden threshold of the Mongol State, he shall not hold personal and alien interests and temporary desires in the slightest. If we forget this, the laws of the state, the trust of the people, the past and future generations will never forgive us.
With the blessing rain from the sky and the earth lighting up its colors, a good time has come for every Mongolian to cherish our traditional culture and national values, and to keep pace with the growth of modern times and the scientific and technological achievements of this era. At the threshold of this new era, a number of favorable conditions have emerged for the potential of the Mongols and the glory of Mongolia to be recognized all over the world.
May the skills of our mighty wrestlers be strong, the speed of our fearless horses vigorous, and the aim of our archers precise in this great festival of the Mongol State.
May the Mongol State exist forever under the Eternal Sky and the Mongolian people be blessed with fortune!
Have a happy Naadam!
