From 17 to 28 August 2026 the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification is being held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, together with an international forum of mayors. Russia and Kalmykia are represented by a delegation from Elista led by Head of the City of Elista - Chairman of the Elista City Assembly Maxim Sorokin.
Sorokin is scheduled to deliver a report on methods of combating desertification and to hold a series of meetings with Mongolian municipal representatives. A meeting has already taken place with the deputy mayor of Ordos (Inner Mongolia, China), at which the parties discussed shared problems of land desertification and agreed on cooperation in ecology and other urban issues. Further talks are planned with the mayor of Ulaanbaatar and other officials.