APCO Worldwide played a key role in helping Mongolia win designation as one of the initial 16 countries to receive '04 funding from President Bush's Millennium Challenge Corp. program.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, who chairs MCC, held a press conference earlier this month to announce the countries eligible to get a share of $1B funding approved for this year. Others were Ghana, Bolivia, Mozambique, Honduras Benin, Georgia and Mali.

Defense Dept. photo shows Mongolian honor guard during Gen. Richard Myers' visit to the country.

Mongolia hired APCO to help "meet the eligibility requirements and competitive challenge of being selected and named by the MCC as one of the first countries to receive aid," according to its letter of agreement inked by Margery Kraus, APCO's CEO.

The firm, which received a $50K fee, committed top-talent, such as former Senator Don Riegle and ex-Reps. Don Bonker and Mickey Edward, to the task.

Mongolia promoted its own cause by joining the "coalition of the willing." The country sent 173 troops to Iraq, earning the first-visit by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Air Force General Richard Myers made the rounds of Ulan Bator in January, where he praised Mongolia's "powerful warrior tradition."

Myers noted that 1258 was the last time that Mongolian soldiers were deployed in what's now Iraq, and said: "They destroyed Baghdad then."