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Thursday, October 27, 2016

[No OT dividend "until 2035"; MNT sets 8 straight lows; ₮40B t-bills sold; iron ore at 6-month high; and MPP grills TDB]

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Thursday, October 27, 2016

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Jump to: Int'l Market - Local Market - Economy - Politics, Legal - Business - Ulaanbaatar - Diplomacy - Health, Education - Culture, Society - Nature, Environment - Sports - Art, Entertainment - Travel

Headlines in Italic are ones modified by Cover Mongolia from original

 

HEADLINES

Int'l Market – Jump to section

-       OpenOil: Mongolian Government Unlikely to Receive Dividends from Oyu Tolgoi until 2035

-       Jason Peterson Increases Stake in Eumeralla to 15.8% via On-Market Purchases

Local Market – Jump to section

-       MSE Trading Report: Top 20 -0.35%, ALL -0.24%, Turnover ₮12.5 Million Shares

Economy – Jump to section

-       BoM sets new lows against USD, CNY, AUD, HKD; USD/MNT up ₮8.75 to ₮2348.86

-       BoM issues 151 billion 1-week bills, total outstanding +0.2% to 509.2 billion

-       BoM: 20 Billion 28-Week T-Bills Sold at 16.9% Discount with 30 Billion Bids

-       BoM: 20 Billion 52-Week T-Bills at 17% Discount with 20 Billion Bids

-       Iron ore jumps to 6-month high, coking coal binge continues

-       China copper imports set to pick up into year-end - industry

Politics & Legal – Jump to section

-       MPP leading Mongolian government investigation into EMC

-       Cabinet reports on its first 100 days

-       Cabinet focuses on economic transparency law observance

-       Bill to be presented in favor of pensioners

-       Other cabinet meeting decisions in brief

-       Mongolia Poll: Despite Poor Economic Situation, Elections Bring Renewed Hope in Democracy

Business – Jump to section

-       A new bloom for Monos

-       AmCham Mongolia Daily Newswire, October 26, 2016

-       Morning Meeting #29 with Skytel CEO

-       Fluorspar 2016: Can Mongolia replace China's depleting supply?

-       Kazakhstan business forum held in Ulan Bator - Mongolia 

Ulaanbaatar – Jump to section

-       Participant families in the ger district re-planning project received the keys to their apartments

-       UP Events: Talk & Networking Event with UK Ambassador

-       Cine-Club: Casse-tete Chinois

Diplomacy – Jump to section

-       Mehmet Erdogan: Mongolia and Turkey should strive for strategic partnership

-       Five Russian MIG-29 fighters land in Ulaanbaatar for refueling

-       Northeast Asia in Transformation: The Future of the Region and the Role of the United States

-       Lecture: Neighbors and Brothers: Mongolian-Russian Relations As Negotiated On Mongolian Terms

-       Consideration of Mongolia - 1443rd Meeting 58th Session of Committee Against Torture

Health, Education – Jump to section

-       Mongolian surgeons to convene for 11th Congress

-       Improving Mongolia's healthcare through collaboration

-       Mongolian scientists introduce "Horse" supplement

Culture, Society – Jump to section

-       Hun Deel created as big as six-story building to set new Guinness record

Nature, Environment – Jump to section

-       The FRIENDLY dinosaurs: Huge cache of bones suggests bird-like creatures flocked together in social groups

Sports – Jump to section

-       Mongolian and Russian athletes to compete in combat sport

-       7th Coca-Cola Zero Bowling Championship continues at Misheel Expo

Art, Entertainment – Jump to section

-       'The Eagle Huntress' Is The Most Empowering Movie You'll See This Year

-       'Mother' receives two nominations at Asian film festivals

-       Mongolian pop opera group Uvertura to tour Europe

Travel – Jump to section

-       Flashes of the Altai - Video

-       Rolling sheep's ankle bones for sport – my night with Mongolian nomads

 

ARTICLES

 

Int'l Market

TRQ closed -1.29% Wednesday to US$3.05

OpenOil: Mongolian Government Unlikely to Receive Dividends from Oyu Tolgoi until 2035

Berlin, 26 October 2016 – Oyu Tolgoi is the biggest foreign investment in the history of Mongolia, but the country probably won't get any dividends from its direct stake in this massive mining project for at least another twenty years — if any at all. That's according to a first-of-its-kind research project from the Berlin-based consultancy OpenOil, which has developed a methodology to lift the curtain on mining and energy, on a project-by-project basis.

The model and accompanying narrative report show that the government may not see dividends from its 34% share of the project until well into the next decade, if at all – despite the fact that Mongolia spent more than two years re-negotiating the original deal with Rio Tinto.

The base scenario of the model estimates the government should have received up to $1.1 billion since the mine started up in 2010, and, depending on future market conditions, could earn many hundreds of millions of dollars a year by the 2020s. But that would be as a result principally of royalties, VAT, income tax and other revenue streams put in place when the project was signed in 2002. Meanwhile, a 34% direct stake in the commercial operation, the subject of a tough and prolonged negotiation between the government and Rio, is unlikely to earn any extra revenues until well into the 2030s.

The financial model is part of a series of open source financial models and accompanying analyses for a number of mining and oil and gas projects that OpenOil is developing – as part of an initiative to develop a Public Financial Management paradigm to upstream modeling of extractive industries.

The Oyu Tolgoi model is based entirely on public sources, including a 2014 Technical Report published by Turquoise Hill Resources. The Technical Report shows positive project economics from the expansion of the project into underground mining from 2015 onwards.

OpenOil's analysis goes beyond this and evaluates the project across its entire lifecycle – from when exploration started and into the future.

The main findings of OpenOil's model and analysis are:

·         The complex financing arrangements agreed between investors and the government have a major impact on the sharing of benefits across the project's life. For example, because dividends are paid only after repaying debt the government's 34% equity is unlikely to generate revenues for many years, and may not be worth much, unless commodity prices increase substantially.

·         Viewed across the entire lifecycle of the project, starting from the development of the open pit operation in 2010, the project is much less lucrative that many commentators appear to believe.

·         If the 20% withholding taxes on dividends and interest that applied in Mongolia when the Investment Agreement was signed were imposed on Oyu Tolgoi, these would add some $6.9Bn to the government's total fiscal revenues over the life of the project.

·         However, under the stabilized terms of the Investment Agreement Turquoise Hill appears able to take advantage of Mongolia's double tax agreement with the Netherlands and eliminate these withholding taxes, even though Mongolia cancelled the treaty in 2014.

Link to release

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Jason Peterson Increases Stake in Eumeralla to 15.8% via On-Market Purchases

October 26, Eumeralla Resources Ltd. (ASX:EUM) -

Link to notice

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Local Market

MSE Trading Report: Top 20 -0.35%, ALL -0.24%, Turnover 12.5 Million Shares

October 26 (MSE) --

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Economy

Reds are when MNT fell, greens when it rose. Bold reds are rates that set a new historic high at the time.

BoM MNT Rates: Wednesday, October 26 Close

10/26

10/25

10/24

10/21

10/20

10/18

10/17

10/14

10/13

10/12

High

Date

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USD

2,348.86

2,340.11

2,335.88

2,330.86

2,326.58

2,319.29

2,306.59

2,290.92

2,286.28

2,272.75

2,348.86

26 Oct '16

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EUR

2,564.02

2,544.99

2,542.72

2,536.44

2,553.54

2,554.70

2,531.83

2,522.76

2,517.54

2,512.75

2,571.70

3 Oct '16

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JPY

22.55

22.40

22.48

22.45

22.43

22.31

22.15

21.98

22.01

21.95

22.68

18 Aug '16

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GBP

2,862.09

2,860.08

2,859.93

2,853.09

2,857.62

2,840.55

2,805.74

2,792.75

2,782.52

2,796.73

3,183.26

13 Aug '14

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RUB

37.73

37.71

37.55

37.32

37.28

36.86

36.49

36.36

36.12

36.31

54.32

27 Jun '14

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CNY

347.03

345.29

345.11

344.83

345.21

344.15

342.27

340.67

339.91

338.46

347.03

26 Oct '16

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KRW

2.07

2.06

2.07

2.05

2.06

2.06

2.02

2.02

2.01

2.02

2.08

29 Sep '16

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SGD

1,691.41

1,681.36

1,679.28

1,672.01

1,675.91

1,672.71

1,658.52

1,651.95

1,649.67

1,646.20

1,689.56

18 Aug '16

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CAD

1,760.63

1,753.48

1,752.22

1,758.61

1,767.92

1,773.84

1,750.07

1,736.14

1,720.11

1,719.96

1,773.84

18 Oct '16

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AUD

1,808.62

1,784.22

1,783.56

1,781.36

1,782.51

1,781.56

1,750.59

1,740.76

1,719.17

1,723.31

1,808.62

26 Oct '16

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HKD

302.84

301.69

301.14

300.43

299.89

298.93

297.29

295.29

294.67

292.95

302.84

26 Oct '16

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CHF

2,367.56

2,353.41

2,348.80

2,342.81

2,352.93

2,346.75

2,330.24

2,316.99

2,312.88

2,299.77

2,369.87

19 Aug '16

Bank USD rates at time of sending: Khan (Buy ₮2,340 Sell ₮2,355), TDB (Buy ₮2,340 Sell ₮2,355), Golomt (Buy ₮2,342 Sell ₮2,355), XacBank (Buy ₮2,348 Sell ₮2,360), State Bank (Buy ₮2,341 Sell ₮2,356)

USD (blue), CNY (red) vs MNT in last 1 year:

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BoM issues 151 billion 1-week bills, total outstanding +0.2% to 509.2 billion

October 24 (Bank of Mongolia) BoM issues 1 week bills worth MNT 151 billion at a weighted interest rate of 15.0 percent per annum /For previous auctions click here/

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BoM: 20 Billion 28-Week T-Bills Sold at 16.9% Discount with 30 Billion Bids

October 26 (Bank of Mongolia) Auction for 28 weeks maturity Government Bond was announced at face value of 20.0 billion MNT. Face value of 20.0 billion /out of 30.0 billion bid/ Government Bond was sold at discounted price and with weighted average yield of 16.900 %.

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BoM: 20 Billion 52-Week T-Bills at 17% Discount with 20 Billion Bids

October 26 (Bank of Mongolia) Auction for 52 weeks maturity Government Bond was announced at face value of 20.0 billion MNT. Face value of 20.0 billion /out of 20.0 billion bid/ Government Bond was sold at discounted price and with weighted average yield of 17.000 %.

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Iron ore jumps to 6-month high, coking coal binge continues

October 26 (MINING.com) The import price of 62% Fe content ore at the port of Tianjin jumped nearly 2% to $62.70 per dry metric tonne on Wednesday building on a 5% advance on Tuesday according to data supplied by The Steel Index.

That was the highest level for the Chinese benchmark price in nearly six months.  Year to date the price of the steelmaking raw material is up 46% after surging by two-thirds in value from near-decade lows in December last year. The average price for 2016 in $54 a tonne, in line with last year, but much higher than even the most upbeat predictions.

Metallurgical coal's rise this year has been even more dramatic than that of iron ore and trading at $270.80 a tonne on Tuesday, the steelmaking raw material is up 27% so far in October. According to data provided by the Steel Index premium Australia hard coking coal prices are up more than three-fold since hitting multi-year lows around $70 a tonne in November last year.

Seaborne prices for coal used in power generation has nearly doubled in 2016 exchanging hands for $93.20 a tonne on Wednesday after touching an intra-day high of $97 earlier this week, up 21% just since the start of October. The last time Newcastle thermal coal export prices traded in triple digits was May 2012.

Most coal business is still conducted on a quarterly contract basis and Reuters reports Glencore this week settled prices with Japanese utilities at $94.75 a tonne, up from around $64 the previous quarter.

Supply down

China, which consumes more than 70% of the world's seaborne iron ore trade, imported 93 million tonnes in September, only slightly below the record 96.3 million tonnes hit in December last year. Shipments for the first nine months are up more than 9% from 2015's record setting pace and on track to breach 1 billion tonnes for the first time.

Last week top iron ore miner Vale reduced its production outlook for 2017 to 360m–380m tonnes, below its original forecast for 380m–400m tonnes. The Rio de Janeiro-based giant said 2016 production would be at the lower end of a range of 340m–350m tonnes.

Number two producer Rio Tinto also cut its outlook for this year's shipment by as much as 5 million tonnes, hampered by logistics bottlenecks at its Pilbara operations in Western Australia. The Melbourne-based company expects to ship around 325m tonnes this year, rising slightly to between 330m – 340m tonnes in 2017.

The coal rally was also spurred by supply issues after Beijing's decision to limit coal mines' operating days to 276 or fewer a year from 330 before as it seeks to restructure the industry. Safety closures and weather related supply curbs in China and Australia only added fuel to the fire.

China imported 24.3 million tonnes of coal in September, up more than 33% compared to last year according to official customs data. Over the first nine months of the year imports increased 15% to 180 million tonnes compared to the same period in 2015.

In 2011 floods in key export region in Queensland saw the coking coal price touch an all-time high $335 a tonne. Steam coal peaked just shy of $140 a tonne in January 2011. Iron ore's high point was a month later at $191.90 a tonne.

Link to article

Related:

Iron ore rally driven by solid demand, not speculationSydney Morning Herald, October 26

Big miners surge as iron ore price soars to two-month highThe Australian, October 26

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China copper imports set to pick up into year-end - industry

October 26 (Reuters) China is expected to step up copper imports in coming months as a weaker yuan opens up arbitrage opportunities and demand picks up, partly fueled by a boom in China's property market, analysts and traders said.

An improvement in demand from the world's top copper consumer could stem an outflow of its excess production into global markets, pushing prices to a stronger finish to the year after trading basically flat across 2016.

"Chinese demand has been better than some have expected this year," said analyst Matthew Wonnacott of mining consultancy CRU. "There are some risks to the upside that we weren't seeing 3 months ago."

China's refined copper imports have fallen for the past three months, slumping 31 percent in September from a year earlier, partly as China has produced more metal after surge of concentrate supply from Peruvian mines this year.

Year to date, however, imports are still up 9.8 percent at 2.8 million tonnes after high local prices fueled a first quarter jump in imports. <MTL/CHINA1>

Traders said a two-week slide in the yuan had again boosted local Shanghai copper prices, opening an arbitrage opportunity for imported copper.

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Politics & Legal

MPP leading Mongolian government investigation into EMC

October 26 (news.mn) The Judicial Standing Committee called a meeting again at 14.00 today (26thOctober) to discuss matters regarding the Erdenet Mining Corporation (EMC) and MongolRosTsvetmet LLC. According to an official source, B.Bolor, who was the finance minister in the previous administration was summoned regarding the purchase of Russian shares in EMC at the meeting. Yesterday, Ch.Saikhanbileg, Mongolia's previous prime minister and O.Orkhon executive of the Trade and Development Bank were called to attend the meetings.

On June 28th, the day before the country went to vote in the general election, Prime Minister Ch. Saikhanbileg announced the transfer of Russian shares of the country's largest copper and molybdenum mine to a Mongolian company called the Mongolian Copper Corporation.

Following the announcement, the Mongolian People's Revolutionary party strongly condemns the sale while main opposition Mongolian People's Party (MPP) issued an statement calling the sale illegal. The MPP, won the June election in a landslide victory and is currently embroiled in various issues involving the previous administration.

Link to article

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Cabinet reports on its first 100 days

October 26 (UB Post) All of Prime Minister J.Erdenebat's Cabinet's ministries presented reports on their performance in their first 100 days in office, providing updates on the projects they've launched since July and reports on ongoing government work.

Ministry of Roads and Transportation

The Ministry of Roads and Transportation said that studies have been completed in preparation for launching the Erdenet-Ovoot railway. Laws have been approved exempting Ulaanbaatar Railway from excise taxes on imported diesel fuel used for the Mongolia-Russia joint venture company. The ministry also reported that a Mongolia-China joint venture company has been established to implement shipping and logistics projects on 10 hectares of land at Dunzian Port in Tianjin, an initiative falling under the framework of Mongolia and Tianjin's trade cooperation agreement.

Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry said that it has drafted resolutions on infectious disease prevention and supporting herders in increasing their prices for live stock raw materials.

Resolutions were also written on new procedures for issuing licenses to produce alcohol, in response to the revocation of the licenses of companies that were found to be violating the law. A memorandum was signed on promoting small enterprises by making them more competitive and assisting them in creating jobs.

An expo was organized by the ministry to provide Ulaanbaatar's residents with access to locally grown produce and to promote local farmers. The Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry held online  meetings with province leaders to successfully complete the harvesting of crops and fodder and, and 475 businesses were able to purchase 2,100 tons of fuel with government loans for the harvest.

Financing was also resolved for loans of 11.6 billion MNT to support entrepreneurs in agriculture. The ministry worked with Japan's Shima Seiki Inc. to open a training center for the manufacturing cashmere and wool products, and concluded agreements with the governments of Hungary, China, and Poland to cooperate on trade and agriculture projects.

A seminar on developing agricultural manufacturing based on exports was held under an agreement with the  Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of South Korea, and an agreement was made to work with Chinese authorities on  revoking trade sanctions on the import of Mongolian livestock products.

Ministry of Energy

The Ministry of Energy reported that in its first 100 days it worked to provide energy to apartments for 25,000 to 30,000 Ulaanbaatar residents by beginning the expansion of Thermal Power Plant III, and that electricity is not being provided to 1,562 ger district residents thanks to the work of a task force from the Energy Regulatory Commission and the Ulaanbaatar Electricity Distribution Network Company.

The Ministry of Energy said that it assisted in dealing with the financial challenges of the Baganuur and Shivee-Ovoo coal mines, and that it launched the Baganuur-Tsenkhermandal 35 kilowatt electric grid substation and connected Tsenkhermandal soum to the grid.

In pursuit of the ministry's green energy objectives, an agreement was signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and two Mongolian companies to build a 50 megawatt wind power station in Tsogttsetsii soum, Umnugovi Province.

Ministry of Defense

The Ministry of Defense highlighted that they have been working to improve the environment for military activities and renewing legal regulations, pointing out that Parliament approved a package of laws on defense, the armed forces, military service, and the legal status of military officers.

Over 100 orders were issued by Minister B.Bat-Erdene for strengthening discipline, developing performance, cutting spending, and spending more efficiently. Some officers qualified for mortgage loans and several veterans were provided with financial assistance.

The ministry organized joint military exercises with Russia, the U.S., and Japan, and reported that 1,000 students participated in the student soldier program.

Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism

The Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism noted that Mongolia has now signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and has agreed to implement a comprehensive policy for maintaining green environmental policy throughout Mongolia.

Complaints were submitted to state authorities to revoke the licenses of some companies found to be harming the environment, and preparations have begun to identify new specially protected areas.

The ministry hosted the UNWTO Silk Road Conference on Nomadic Tourism and Sustainable Cities to promote the growth of nomadic tourism, as well as a forum to educate the public on green development.

Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health reported that the government has agreed to reimburse private hospitals for medication expenditures for people requiring hemodialysis. The state will also pay for some medications for people diagnosed with blood cancer, and it has agreed to spend up to 1.6 billion MNT on equipment for pediatric medical care and emergency medical services.

Plans are in place to complete the construction of a new burn center funded by the Government of Kuwait, and a number of residents of Ulaanbaatar's eastern districts and eastern provinces received medical emergency and routine medical care from the military hospital of the Ministry of Defense to reduce the workloads at the city's crowded hospitals.

A project was launched to help provide people with non-bureaucratic, transparent medical services, 50 beds were added to the capital's maternity hospital, and 10,000 children received flu shots.

The ministry kicked off collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund to buy pediatric medication, and an international conference on infectious diseases was organized in Ulaanbaatar.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that high ranking Mongolian officials have visited Cuba, Japan, South Korea, and China in the ministry's first 100 days, to develop relations and strengthen economic cooperation.

An agreement was signed to receive an export loan of 50 million EURO from Poland, and an agreement was signed between Mongolia and Canada on investment promotion and cooperation. Implementation of the LEAD Mongolia project has begun, at a cost of 2.5 million USD, to address development, reduce poverty and unemployment, enhance governmental transparency, and to fight corruption. The ministry also noted that an international forum on democratic transitions was hosted in Ulaanbaatar.

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Cabinet focuses on economic transparency law observance

Ulaanbaatar, October 26 (MONTSAME) At the regular meeting of the Cabinet, held on Wednesday, the Minister of Finance, B.Choijilsuren reported about the course of the implementation of the Law on Glass Account (Economic Transparency).

The related line ministers and budget managers were assigned to organize internal audits on the enforcement of the Glass Account Law, make sure its observance in due way, and to impose corresponding responsibilities on the officials, who have  failed to do.

Chairman of the State Property Policy and Adjustment Department Ts.Nyam-Osor was tasked to improve monitoring of the law implementation.

The cabinet directed the heads of all levels of budget organizations the Glass Account Law applies to, to keep updating their information on their websites.

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Bill to be presented in favor of pensioners

Ulaanbaatar, October 26 (MONTSAME) In considering the draft revised law on allowing additional benefits and discounts for seniors, the cabinet decided to submit it to the State Great Khural (Parliament).

Regardless of the current economic situation, the law initiators have worked out the draft with a vision to ensure wellbeing and comfort of the elder citizens, to provide them more opportunities to pass down their knowledge and experiences to the younger generations and to enable them to take active parts in the social life.

The government provided for the allowance of Longevity Grant for the elders, aged above 65 in its program of actions.

The new wording of the law allocates MNT 750 million of budget for encouraging the senior citizens' participation in policymaking, allowing broader access to public services, organizing workshops on personal development, and providing clearer and accessible information on pensioner-related actions by the government.

Link to article

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Other cabinet meeting decisions in brief

Ulaanbaatar, October 26 (MONTSAME) At today's regular meeting, the cabinet discussed issues regarding the law enforcement, bills for pensioners and heard presentations by the Ministry of Justice. Additionally, the ministers approved the Plan of actions to be taken for implementing the Government Program of Actions.

The Plan has 383 objectives under 4 principal goals concerning social, economic, environmental and governance visions.

-The cabinet resolved to submit the draft program on overcoming the economic difficulties and stabilization to the Parliament, after reflecting the recommendations from the cabinet members.

-The draft amendments to the Law on Customs Tariffs and Taxes will be submitted to the parliament.

-The cabinet also approved the draft Cooperation MoU between Mongolia and the UNESCO for 2016-2021, and the Intergovernmental Agreement between Mongolia and Canada on Protecting and Promoting Investments.

-The ministers discussed and principally backed the issue of joining the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, and decided to consolidate with the corresponding standing committee of the State Great Khural.

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Mongolia Poll: Despite Poor Economic Situation, Elections Bring Renewed Hope in Democracy

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, October 26 (International Republican Institute)—A new nationwide poll released today by IRI's Center for Insights in Survey Research reveals high levels of optimism for the newly-elected government and Mongolian democracy— despite the country's continued poor economic performance and popular concerns over corruption.

"This survey shows that Mongolians have invested a great deal of faith in the new government and in their democratic system," said Derek Luyten, IRI Regional Director, Asia. "If the government is to sustain this goodwill, it will need to take effective action to address key issues of concern such as the economy and corruption and commit to working in the interest of all Mongolians."

IRI's poll reflects enthusiasm for the results of the June parliamentary elections, with 80 percent reporting they would vote the same way today as on June 29. More than half are either "very optimistic" (16 percent) or "somewhat optimistic" (40 percent) that the newly-elected parliamentarians will fulfill their electoral promises. Similarly, the poll shows a 12-point increase (up to 31 percent from 19 percent) of respondents who feel the country is headed in the right direction, and a corresponding 14-point decrease (down to 47 percent from 61 percent) of those who feel it is headed in the wrong direction.

Forty-five percent of "wrong direction" respondents cited economic instability as the reason for their response, while 80 percent of all respondents described current economic conditions as "bad" or "very bad." Corruption continues to be a concern for Mongolians: 76 percent consider it to be a major problem.

The democratic spirit is reflected in citizen perceptions on voting and democracy. A combined 80 percent believe that voting gives them the chance to influence decision making (37 percent "strongly agree," 43 percent "somewhat agree"), and the number of respondents who consider democracy more important than prosperity rose 10 points from March 2016 (up to 37 percent from 27 percent).

The poll also indicated improvements in perceptions of women's political participation. The number who "strongly agree" that women are equally represented in political decision-making jumped from 12 percent to 21 percent, and those who "somewhat agree" rose from 27 percent to 35 percent. However, 40 percent of those polled noted that the male-dominated political structure remains a barrier to women's participation in politics.

Methodology

This survey was funded by Global Affairs Canada and conducted on behalf of IRI's Center for Insights in Survey Research by the Social Policy Development Research Institute and Chesapeake Beach Consulting between August 16 and August 26, 2016. Data was collected through in-person interviews from a sample of 5,000 respondents aged 18 and older, with a response rate of 96 percent. The sample was stratified by 13 of Mongolia's 21 aimags and Ulaanbaatar, and then bysoum, or district. The margin of error does not exceed plus or minus 1.4 percent at the mid-range, with a confidence level of 95 percent.

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Business

A new bloom for Monos

October 26 (Mongolian Economy) Twenty-six years ago, a small pharmaceutical company was established with a budget of just MNT 4000 and two employees, a pensioner and a high school graduate, in a one-story old wooden house without electricity or heating, once a Russian military base. It was the seed that sprouted Mongolia's pharmaceutical industry. Today, that seed has grown to become Mongolia's largest pharmaceutical company occupying an area of 1,700 square metres near Sonsgolon and with a capacity to produce 352 million tablets per year.

On the 21st of this month, the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised a visit tour at Monos Group's pharmaceutical factory, one of the top enterprises of the 2015 Entrepreneur ceremony. It was incomparable to any other pharmaceutical factory I had ever visited as a journalist.

M.Odgerel, CEO of Monos Pharma LLC, said the visitors coming to see the new factory have been pouring in. This factory was built in accordance with the strict standards of international medicine production known as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). It is a strict standard where the factory workers and pharmaceutical raw materials must enter the factory through different routes. If one of the two nearby doors is open, the other must be closed. Each room has air conditioning, humidity and temperature controls, ventilation and pressure adjustment system.

Monos Group produces medicines such as Chitamon, Salimon, Dentamon, Naturvit and Nefromon by using herb grown in Mongolia. According to B.Enkhzaya, the Deputy Director in charge of the factory, production capacity has grown 3-5 times with the commissioning of the new factory. For example, a medicine was compounded within 4-5 days while now it only requires 40 minutes. In addition, the new factory provides more than 100 people with jobs. Hence, they are proud of the new factory, saying it is a historical development in the national pharmaceutical sector.

Former Minister of Health S.Lambaa said that 30 percent of drugs listed as essential used to be produced domestically, while now 50 percent of the essential drugs can me produced in Mongolia.

Investment amounting to MNT 20 billion and six years effort went into building the factory. Project research begun in 2009, with construction work starting in 2012. Building this type of pharmaceutical factory is entirely different from building apartment buildings. First, the main building must be built. Afterwards, steel plates must be assembled inside the building.

Monos Group has sent its employees to more than 40 foreign and domestic trainings since 2012 as the industry requires new knowledge and skills to keep up with standards.

The pharmaceutical industry is one that does not forgive the ones without scientific knowledge and only seek profits. Monos Group reached where it is today thanks to the efforts of scientist L.Khurelbaatar, and now it is already preparing to hold an IPO. The company's policy and desire to improve its governance and be more open to the public could be felt during the visit tour as Deputy Director of the factory B.Enkhzaya answered journalists' questions.

It was clear that the company is striving to truly implement social responsibility into its business atmosphere.

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AmCham Mongolia Daily Newswire, October 26, 2016

GOVERNMENT

Ch. Saihkhanbileg: The matter of transferring 49% of Erdenet Mining Corporation's shares to Mongolia came at an inconvenient time

Summary: Yesterday, the Parliament Legal Standing Committee convened to discuss the sale of 49% of Erdenet Mining Corporation and to examine the results of the taskforce formed to inspect the sale. The Former Prime Minister Ch. Saikhanbileg, CEO of Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia O. Orkhon and Acting Director of the Policy Coordination Department of State Property Committee Ts. Nyam-Osor were called for the meeting. The taskforce stated that, "During the 49% sale of Erdenet Mining Corporation and Mongolrostsvetmet LLC, the Constitution, and seven articles of international treaties and conventions may have been violated." During the meeting, the Members of Parliament asked to clarify why the sale of the strategic factories was not discussed in Parliament. Ch. Saikhanbileg stated that, "During the Cabinet meeting, some Cabinet members felt that the issue should be discussed in the Parliament, while others felt that there was no legal framework for this issue. As the Prime Minister, I felt that the issue should be resolved. The issue of Erdenet Mining Corporation came at a very inconvenient time, and the Russian side required us to make a decision before June 23rd.  I viewed that it was right to bring 100% of the shares of Erdenet Mining Corporation to Mongolia. It is possible to judge the legitimacy of my actions in the Constitutional Court."      

Keywords: Erdenet Mining Corporation   Today /page A2/

The Parliament will discuss National Anti-Corruption Program this week

Summary: Parliament will discuss the National Anti-Corruption Program. The previous Parliament rejected the program back without any discussion. The current Parliament created a taskforce to prepare the draft program for discussion in the Parliament. The taskforce is led by the Chair of the Legal Standing Committee Sh. Radnaased and includes Members of Parliament L. Bold, Kh. Nyambaatar, N. Oyundari and B. Purevdorj. During the Parliament Legal Standing Committee meeting, the draft resolution on the National Program on Combating Corruption and Strengthening Integrity will be discussed and then presented at tomorrow's plenary session.      

Keywords: corruption   The National Post /page 1/

ECONOMY

Reporting the origin of down payments for loans will not be required 

Summary: The Minister of Construction and Urban Development G. Munkhbayar met with the Governor of the Bank of Mongolia N. Bayartsaikhan to discuss whether the ipotek loan program can be continued with 8% an interest rate. The meeting resolved one of most urgent problems facing citizens and commercial banks will no longer be able to investigate the origin of the required 30% down payment for ipotek loans. Commercial banks will be able to check whether the loan applicant has other loans from other financial institutions, but they may not investigate where the capital being used for the down payment is originating from. Both sides agreed that it is possible to continue the 5% ipotek loan program in the future if the required financing is available. G. Munkhbayar requested that the Bank of Mongolia look into the possibility of extending the terms of loans for construction companies based on the operations of those who have received loans using their building, apartments or building supplies as collateral.

Keywords: ipotek loan   The Official Gazette /page 2/

MINING

Oyu Tolgoi LLC has the capability to increase its copper production

Summary: Macquarie Group announced that Oyu Tolgoi has the potential to increase its copper production beyond 1 million tons a year. By improving the capacity of the factory, the output of 40 million tons can reach 100 million tons, thus increasing copper production by 50%. After Rio Tinto presented their third quarter report, Macquarie Group determined a positive outlook for Rio Tinto's stock.

Keywords: OT, copper   The Official Gazette /page 11/

ONLINE STORIES

J. Erdenebat: It is imperative to develop the stock market now more than ever

Summary: Initiated by the Mongolian Securities and Dealers Association, the Financial Regulatory Commission, the Mongolian Stock Exchange and Japan's International Cooperation Agency co-organized the Common Goal – Consolidated  Solutions discussion. Prime Minister J. Erdenebat gave opening remarks, stating that; "It is imperative to develop the stock market now more than ever." He stated that the Government would work towards regulating the trade of government securities through the stock market and stimulate  the participation of brokerage companies. The Government will take necessary actions to develop the financial market, to increase the number of participants, and introduce innovative approaches to increase the number of investment projects implemented through the financial market. 

Keywords: stock market, Prime Minister   www.ikon.mn

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Morning Meeting #29 with Skytel CEO

October 25 (UB Post) Erdemt NGO will host its 29th Morning Meeting at Blue Sky Hotel and Tower on October 27.

Guest speaker of the meeting will be executive director of Skytel Group D.Bolor. He will present a lecture on "Success".

Details

Where: Blue Sky Hotel and Tower

When: October 27, 6:45 a.m.

Admission: 15,000 MNT (breakfast included)

More Information: 99958445

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Fluorspar 2016: Can Mongolia replace China's depleting supply?

October 26 (Industrial Minerals) Delegates at IM's Fluorspar conference in Toronto disagreed on the rate of China's resource depletion and whether or not Mongolia might be able to step in to fill the supply gap.

China's production restrictions and fluorspar export limits will pave the way for the dominance of other producers, delegates heard at IM's Fluorspar Conference, held in Toronto on 26 October.

According to Edwin Chan, director of producer Mongolia Juyanli, Mongolian production of fluorspar will be able to fill this...

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Kazakhstan business forum held in Ulan Bator - Mongolia 

October 26 (KazStrategy2050) For the first time, trade mission of Kazakhstani producers is being held in Ulan Bator. The event was organized by the National Agency for Export and Investment «KAZNEX INVEST» in conjunction with the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mongolia with the assistance of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Mongolia.

19 domestic enterprises-producers (helicopters, transformers, X-ray equipment, batteries, reinforcing bars, fertilizers, insulation materials, mixes and paint products, confectionery products, rice, flour, canola oil and meal, pharmaceuticals, packaging, and and refined gold and silver bullion) are negotiating with wholesale purchasing and distribution companies of Mongolia on the possibilities of delivery of Kazakh goods to the country, said the National Agency.

At the same time, it is scheduled to meet with the representatives of the ministries of health, food and agriculture, energy of Mongolia for registration of Kazakhstani goods and services, and the participation of Kazakh companies in public procurement in Mongolia.

The foreign trade turnover of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Mongolia in 2015 amounted to 54.6 million dollars, the share of Kazakhstan's exports account for 98% in Mongolia.

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Mongolia-Kazakhstan economic forum heldMontsame, October 26

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Ulaanbaatar

Participant families in the ger district re-planning project received the keys to their apartments

October 26 (gogo.mn) According to the resolution by the City Council of Ulaanbaatar, Burd Construction's Ger District Re-Planning LLC was selected as a project implementing company for the A, D, E and G areas of 13th and 14th khoroos, Bayanzurkh District. Since then, the company has been carrying out the project work in stages in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations. 

During this time, the company has successfully made a bilateral agreements with more than 80 percent of over 730 households residing in the areas, freed 7.5 ha areas for the construction, and relocated 142 families to whom the company has been continuously paying the monthly fee of 700 000 MNT for their rent.

According to the mutual contract made between the company and these 142 households, the company has agreed to build 182 apartments with 9800 square meters of floor areas, heated parking lots with a capacity to hold 30 vehicles, and a space for trade and service. Today, the company has successfully handed the keys to 148 apartments to over 120 households in addition to the 24 parking lots and trade and service space. The rest of the families will receive their apartments within this month with a choice of apartments from the apartment complex of Amartuvshin Town in 13th Khoroolol, Bayanzurkh District.

As the Amartuvshin Town apartment complex is conveniently located close to original land that the residents freed, the families are happy to be living in comfortable apartments close to their work, school and kindergarten.

Even though Mongolia is facing a challenging economic and financial situation, the project implementing company has been working successfully, realizing their duties and responsibilities for the residents as a result of mutual agreement, trust, and understandings between the residents, Capital City administrators and the project implementing company.

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UP Events: Talk & Networking Event with UK Ambassador

October 25 (UB Post) UP Events is organizing its next Talk & Networking Event at ArtiCour Art Gallery on October 26. The event aims to inspire and motivate young professionals by sharing ideas and know-hows of business leaders and entrepreneurs.

British Ambassador Catherine Arnold will give visitors an interesting speech on "How to be an Authentic Leader?".

Details

Where: CLUB Co-Working, ICC Tower

When: October 26, 7:00 p.m.

Ticket Price: 30,000 MNT

More Information: 94090033, 99211550

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Cine-Club: Casse-tete Chinois

October 25 (UB Post) Alliance Francaise de Mongolie is set to screen 2013 French comedy-drama film "Casse-tete Chninois" (Chinese Puzzle), written and directed by Cedric Klapisch, on October 26 at The Green Zone.

In the film, a 40-year- old father's life is complicated when the mother of his two children moves to New York. Since he can't bear them growing up far away from him and decides to move there as well.

Details

Where: The Green Zone, Constructors' Square

When: October 26, 6:30 p.m.

Admission: Free

More Information: 11-3519142

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Diplomacy

Mehmet Erdogan: Mongolia and Turkey should strive for strategic partnership

Ulaanbaatar, October 26 (MONTSAME) T.Ayursaikhan MP, the head of the parliamentary group of Mongolia-Turkey Friendship, received today a Turkish parliamentary delegation led by Mr Mehmet Erdogan, the head of the Turkey-Mongolia Friendship Group in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Mr Ayursaikhan underlined an importance of inter-parliamentary interactions between Mongolia and Turkey.

"Our countries are both democratic states with parliamentary systems. Turkey is recognized as Mongolia's "third neighbor", noted the MP and expressed his satisfaction with the recent achievements made in the bilateral relation in the context of the comprehensive partnership.

Mr Erdogan thanked Mr Ayursaikhan for the hospitality and said he is pleased to have  his third visit to Mongolia - a brother nation for Turkey. "It is important to consolidate our ties to make up the geographical distance. Therefore, the weekly direct flights contribute greatly to boosting bilateral ties. The latter has been witnessing even more dynamic growth over the last 26 years, when more than a hundred cooperation documents have been signed by the two sides. We should strive to upgrade the relations to the level of strategic partnership", he said.

The dignitaries touched upon issues concerning bilateral trade, economy, agriculture and cooperation in light industry, as well as the student exchange.

Present were also, the members of parliamentary friendship group N.Enkhbold, G.Soltan and B.Undarmaa MPs, members of the Turkey-Mongolia Friendship Group in the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkey, and Ambassador of Turkey Murat Karagoz.

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Five Russian MIG-29 fighters land in Ulaanbaatar for refueling

October 26 (news.mn) Five Russian MiG-29 fighter jets and an Ilyushin IL-76 transport landed at Chinggis Khaan airport yesterday (25th of October). The aircraft of the 'Russian Knights' aerobatic demonstration team were en route to Beijing, and landed at Ulaanbaatar for  refueling.

The famous aerobatic team will participate in an air-show in the Chinese city of Zhuhai next week (1-6th of November).

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Northeast Asia in Transformation: The Future of the Region and the Role of the United States

October 26 (The Asia Foundation) Northeast Asia is the economic and geopolitical region comprising China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, and Russia's far east, all of which stood at the forefront of the Cold War. Unlike other regions, which quickly recovered after the end of the Cold War, Northeast Asia was left with a series of enduring stalemates—the Korean Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, the Dokdo/Takeshima Islands, and the Diaoyu Islands—that remain obstacles to regional cooperation.

Nevertheless, the forces of economic globalization, technological change, and transnational population flow are rapidly transforming the region, from bipolar strategic competition to a cooperative and diversified network. The states of Northeast Asia also face many common challenges, including resource scarcity, threats to the environment, and the stubborn persistence of strategic tensions amid flourishing economic cooperation.

Population Movement

With the acceleration of urbanization, transborder population movement has rapidly increased. Industrialization and urbanization have contributed to the concentration of populations in megacities. In 2015, the populations of Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, and Osaka exceeded 20 million, with Seoul close behind, and Ulaanbaatar, though not quite a megacity, exhibiting many of the same vulnerabilities. The rise of megacities has brought problems in housing, electricity and water supplies, transportation, food safety, public security, environmental degradation, and solid waste management.

The aging of these urban populations over the next 20 years will coincide with growing transborder migration and a growing presence of vulnerable groups—illegal migrants, minorities, and disadvantaged groups—in metropolitan areas. The number of Chinese living and working abroad will rise from 100 million to 200 million over the next 20 years; African migrants in Guangzhou have already exceeded 200,000; and Korean minority populations in China's northeast region have experienced unprecedented growth. The regional issue of transborder migration will play an increasingly important role in China's domestic politics over the next 20 years.

Resource Scarcity

Rapid urbanization will give rise to pressing shortages of energy and water. With China's economic boom, demand for natural gas and water has grown rapidly. At the same time, China's dependence on imported energy, especially oil, will continue to grow, with imports accounting for an estimated 80 percent of oil needs by 2035. Finding sufficient energy and resources to fuel China's economic engine in the long run will be a non-trivial problem for Chinese foreign policy. Meanwhile, the Fukushima nuclear accident has exacerbated the problem of Japan's national electricity supply; turmoil in the South China Sea and the Middle East have worried energy-dependent Japan and Korea; and the problem of energy and water has never ceased to trouble the landlocked Republic of Mongolia.

Threats to the Environment

Urban development in Northeast Asia has come at the cost of aggravated pollution from wastewater, gases, garbage, agricultural waste, and noise. The unsustainable exploitation of natural resources has resulted in soil erosion, grassland degradation, and decreased biodiversity. The Chinese leadership has felt growing pressure from domestic grievances about air pollution. Sand storms resulting from soil and grassland degradation have become an intractable problem for Mongolia. Climate change is no longer a remote scenario, and melting polar ice and sea-level rise are a constant theme of the Japanese media.

Strategic Tensions

Northeast Asian economic development and influence over the next 15 to 20 years will depend on China's successful rise and the strategic choices of the United States. China seems likely to maintain a 6 percent economic growth rate, despite recent downward pressures, and the United States could find itself in the near future having to cope with a much stronger rival. If Northeast Asia becomes a global power with China at its center, the United States may shift towards containment in its rebalance towards Asia, while emphasizing competition rather than cooperation. In this Sino-U.S. bipolar scenario, Japan's relative power, in the absence of serious political reform, would continue to decline. Other middle powers like North Korea, South Korea, and Mongolia would have little impact on the process of regional power transition, even if they achieved impressive economic growth. These countries would find it increasingly difficult to formulate their national strategies, thus displaying a degree of fickleness in various policy areas. South Korea's current hedging strategy is a case in point: it must strengthen its security alliance with the United States, while cautiously managing its relationship with China in order to benefit from China's economic rise, putting it in the difficult position of trying to avoid choosing sides in the strategic competition.

This essay is a sneak preview excerpt from the forthcoming Asian Views on America's Role in Asia: The Future of the Rebalance—Strategic Recommendations for the Incoming U.S. President on Foreign Policy Towards Asia. Zhao Kejin is associate professor at the Institute of International Studies, director of the Center for China's Statecraft and Public Diplomacy, and deputy director of the Center for Sino-U.S. Relations, Tsinghua University. He is a contributor to Asian Views on America's Role in Asia: The Future of Asia.

The Asia Foundation's quadrennial project convenes a series of closed-door, high-level working groups of Asian and American thought leaders across the Asia Pacific to craft foreign policy recommendations for the incoming U.S. Administration to coincide with U.S. elections. This year's report includes a chapter on The Future of Asia written by a new generation of Asian leaders, including Zhao Kejin. To read Zhao Kejin's recommendations for the incoming U.S. president, tune in to asiafoundation.org on November 15, just after the election. 

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Lecture: Neighbors and Brothers: Mongolian-Russian Relations As Negotiated On Mongolian Terms

Lecture | November 29 | 4 p.m. | 180 Doe Library

Speaker: Marissa J. Smith, Anthropology, De Anza College

Moderator: Edward W. Walker, Executive Director, Institute of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies

SponsorsInstitute of East Asian Studies (IEAS)UC Berkeley Mongolia Initiative

While often associated with Stalin's positioning of Russians as "older brothers" to other nationalities, in the context of Mongolian-Russian relations the nature of "the brotherhood of nations" has been considerably more complex. Mongolian practices of siblingship distinguish between elder and younger, but are considerably more ambiguous in hierarchical terms than other relations involving distinctions of age. In this context, the positioning of Russians and Mongolians as siblings generally implies not the leadership of one elder sibling over a younger one, but is often used to emphasize mutual obligations and contested claims shared between those whose roles as "leader" and "follower" shift radically over the course of lifetimes in the context of who is lending aid, incorporating whom into whose projects, or slackening the intensity of such relationships. 

While the hegemonizing tendencies of great powers has often been the focus of research on the region, the definition of nationality in the context of the Eastern Bloc (including its Asian member nations) also created space for the recognition of distinctive practices, knowledge, and values while expecting engagement with those of other nationalities'. Based largely on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Mongolia since 2006, mostly in the Mongolian-Russian mining city of Erdenet, this talk examines how "brotherhood" is a highly valued and highly contested relation through which negotiations of ownership, inheritance, and moral obligation in ongoing Mongolian-Russian relations, both at the scales of international relations and interpersonal intimacies, are conducted on very Mongolian terms while always emphasizing distinctions between nationalities. Moderated by Edward Walker, Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies.

This talk is part of the UC Berkeley Mongolia Initiative "Young Mongolianist" series.

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Consideration of Mongolia - 1443rd Meeting 58th Session of Committee Against Torture

August 2, 2016 (UN Web TV) --

MONGOLIAN DELEGATION

1. G.ERDENEBAT, Deputy General Prosecutor and Senior Advisor for State Legislation of Mongolia (Head of Delegation)

2. V.PUREVDORJ, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other International Organizations

3. B.BATTSEREN, Supreme Court Judge

4. B.BATZORIG, Director, Public Administration Department, Ministry of Justice of Mongolia

5. E.BATZORIG, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other International Organizations

6. T.BAATAR, Head, Special Investigations Unit of the Investigation Department, State Police Department, Police Colonel

7. CH.MUNKH-ERDENE, Head, Guard and Security Unit, Administration Management Department of the General Executive Agency of Court Decision, Lieutenant Colonel

8. A.ARIUN, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other InternationalOrganizations

9. D.GANTUYA, Specialist, Law, Treaty and Cooperation Department, Ministry of Justice of Mongolia

Link to video (playlist has Mongolia's replies)

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Health, Education

Mongolian surgeons to convene for 11th Congress

Ulaanbaatar, October 26 (MONTSAME) The 11th Congress of Mongolian Surgeons is to take place on October 28 at the Chinggis Hotel of Ulaanbaatar.  To be organized by the National Research Center for Infectious Diseases the biannual event will bring together 300 surgeons and medical practitioners working. 

The congress enables surgeons from all over the country to share their experiences, exchange knowledge and practices, and to learn their shortcomings and accomplishments. Latest technologies in medical sciences will be presented as well.

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Improving Mongolia's healthcare through collaboration

By KRISTINE DE LEON

October 26 (UB Post) The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health hosted around 200 professionals from the health, academic, NGO, and private sectors for the "Tackling Infectious Diseases: A Call for Action" conference last week, held on October 20 and 21, at Blue Sky Hotel.

Through collaboration and open and honest conversation, attendees from various countries, including China, Japan, and Russia, walked away from the event with innovative ideas to combat public health challenges and foster regional technological improvement.

"I am very pleased with the level of support and enthusiasm of scientific research and public health issues. There are many research scientists and health professionals who are here because of their love of science and research, as well as their interest in health and public health for the people of Mongolia," said WHO Representative for Mongolia, Dr. Soe Nyunt-U. "The level of ideation and engaged participation is a clear indicator that the region has real potential for crossover innovation across the different sectors."

Participants heard prominent keynote speeches from Minister of Health Dr. A.Tsogtsetseg, World Health Organization Representative in Mongolia Dr. Soe Nyunt-U, State Secretary Dr. D.Ochirbat, and Director of Division of Communicable Diseases at WHO Western and Pacific Regional Offices Dr. Mark Jacobs. Participants also had the opportunity to both listen to and interact with different panels of experts from the National Center for Communicable Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic Disease, and the Public Health Institute, each sharing their latest research findings or strategic development plans for priority public health issues.

"We need people who can help, and we needed the people of Mongolia to be here to share in this meeting. There were many good suggestions, ideas, and we will continue to work on these for the next weeks, or months," said Dr. Soe Nyunt-U in his closing remarks for the conference last Friday. Dr. Nyunt-U centered his speech on the challenges of continued development in the areas of public health, surveillance and medical facilities, and how those challenges can be addressed through the collaboration of health officials, academia, and government functionaries.

The main outputs of the jointly organized conference were to identify the focal points for viral hepatitis, hospital-acquired infections, sexually transmitted infections, and to improve partnership across all the different actors and sectors involved in different aspects of emerging diseases.

According to WHO, Mongolia also has the highest rate of liver cancer and mortality from liver cancer in the world. In addition, although heart disease and hypertension are among the most preventable of diseases, they are the most widespread and costly health problems in Mongolia. Another critical issue is the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in the youth population. The UN Human Development Report for Mongolia from June 2016 reports that the practice of safe sex is not widespread among youth, and new cases of HIV have shown steady growth since 2005.

The conference served as a catalyst in addressing major public health concerns within Mongolia and emerging concerns due to an increase of travel between neighboring countries. It also served as a further linkage between WHO and the Ministry of Health, and it highlights the use of progressive partnerships to develop and deliver innovative solutions for the development of the Communicable infectious Diseases Strategy by the Ministry of Health.

"One thing I want to mention, the reason we organized and supported this conference is that [Mongolia] has a new government, new Prime Minister, new Cabinet, new Ministry of Health, and new Parliament. And anyone interested in promoting health, should always be cognizant of the faulty of development."

Dr. Soe Nyunt-U said WHO recognizes the importance of collaboration with different sectors and the surrounding countries for efficiency and effectiveness. He argues that it may be difficult to implement improvements on critical health-related issues due to Mongolia's fluctuating economy and political landscape. In addition, with the rise of antibiotic resistance and changing environmental conditions occurring globally, the member states of WHO Western and Pacific Regional Offices are having to work harder to address environmental risks and new communicable diseases. In this international collaborative effort to promote healthy lives, WHO and the Mongolian government have to leverage each other to deliver.

"It is the job of the Minister of Health and WHO to continue to commit to working for the people, to bring all stakeholders, and to listen to all stakeholders. Unfortunately, sometimes those who are present in such a conference express their ideas; they make their suggestions and comments relevant. But many times and in many countries, those who are not present at this kind of gathering are the one who are going to dictate, sometimes with money, and agenda. We call it a 'hijacked agenda.'"

Dr. Nyunt-U also urges that the Mongolian government and stakeholders take immediate action. "I would like to instill a bit of urgency into public health issues. We don't have all the time in the world. WHO and its partner will continue to support research," he emphasized in his closing speech.

"The reality of policy making, and the reality of politics, is such that you as the government is responsible for execution. We cannot wait for complete evidence all the time. Even though we already provided strong evidence, it is still not complete evidence."

"We cannot get into the political process. But also we cannot be penalized for such failures, and we cannot be complacent for such failures. We need to health the Ministry of Health to deliver their promises."

WHO and the Ministry of Health have identified five strategic directions for enhanced cooperation by bringing together the people and understanding each other's needs.

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Mongolian scientists introduce "Horse" supplement

October 26 (MONTSAME) The Horse supplement is the very first Mongolian calcium supplement made of horse bone with non-chemical, mechanical and low temperature processing method which allows conserving the natural structure and components of the horse bone.

Rich in calcium, phosphor,magnesium, collagen, growth hormone, glucose, microelements and minerals, the supplement is essential for supporting bone structure and function.

20 percent of the composition of the dietary supplement is calcium and the remaining 80 percent contains vitamins and minerals. The Horse supplement is recommended to those who are unable to get enough calcium from food and who are diagnosed with low bone mineral density.

It is also good for both elders who suffer from joint pains and for little kids for their growth.

The Horse supplement is a result of great endeavors and long studies based on traditional food rations and modern scientific achievements by researchers of the "Monchemo" company which has been operating in the fields of medicine, environment and agriculture since 1998.

The Horse brand calcium that could make a sensational debut on the Mongolian market by its quality and advantages is exported to South Korea.

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Culture, Society

Hun Deel created as big as six-story building to set new Guinness record

October 26 (gogo.mn) Bat Zuu LLC has created the biggest and king patterned Hun Deel, with a height of 14 meters and a width of 18 meters for two months, engaging over 50 tailors. The aim to set new Guinness World Record.

The Hun Deel was made with 0.5 million meters of cotton and used the original design of Hun deel found in Buhan Hoshuu, Khentii aimag, which is now being preserved at the Mongolian National Historical Museum.  

Advisor of Bat Zuu LLC, J.Oyunchimeg stated that the main force was to create a major work for promotion of Mongolia to the world. People are not widely aware of Hun Deel being preserved atthe Mongolian National Historical Museum as a historical heritage. Thus, we aimed to create its bigger version, enabling people to see the historic, scientific and technical great skills that reflected in that Deel. We hope Mongolians will be proud of their country and wear their traditional costume after seeing our work. 

The biggest Hun Deel will be open to the public tomorrow at 10 am at Great Hall of Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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Nature, Environment

The FRIENDLY dinosaurs: Huge cache of bones suggests bird-like creatures flocked together in social groups

·         The bones came from numerous bird-like Avimimus dinosuars 

·         The bonebed was first discovered a decade ago in Mongolia

·         Offers first solid evidence of flocking behaviour of bird-like dinosaurs

·         Feathered dinosaurs lived during the Cretaceous 145 million years ago

October 26 (Daily Mail) Dinosaurs may not have been the solitary predators that they are often assumed to be.

In fact, they were social creatures that flocked together in groups like modern animals, according to a new study. 

The research is based on bones from bird-like Avimimus dinosaurs that were found in Mongolia a decade ago.

'The common mythology of dinosaurs depicts solitary, vicious monsters running around eating everything,' explains Gregory Funston, PhD student and Vanier scholar at the University of Alberta. 

'Our discovery demonstrates that dinosaurs are more similar to modern animals than people appreciate. 

'Although the players are different, this evidence shows that dinosaurs were social beings with gregarious behaviour who lived and died together in groups.' 

The study claims to offer the first solid evidence for the flocking behaviour of bird-like dinosaurs, in this case, oviraptorosaurs.

The large cache of bones was first discovered in 2006 at the Nemegt Formation in Mongolia.

The area is well known for an abundance of fossils. 

The site contained thousands of shards of destroyed bone, suggesting that it had previously been plundered by fossil poachers.

Further excavations in 2007 and 2016 uncovered a bonebed of Avimimus bones, which is thought to be the first containing oviraptorosaur remains.

The feathered dinosaurs lived during the Cretaceous Period, which spans the period from 79 to 145 million years ago.

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Sports

Mongolian and Russian athletes to compete in combat sport

October 26 (news.mn) Mongolian and Russian athletes will compete in combat sport in Novosibirsk on 27-30th of October. N.Tuvshinbayar, who is a 2008 Olympic Champion, 2012 Olympic silver medalist, 2016 Asian championship Gold medalist is leading the Mongolian team; the Russian team is led by two-time Olympic Champion (2012, 2016) and two-time World Champion (2011, 2015), and a two-time European Champion (2012, 2013) Roman Vlasov. However, the team leaders won't be participating in the competition.

The following athletes are included in the Mongolian team:

Boxing –E.Bayarkhuu (64kg)

Judo – G.Boldbaatar (60kg)

Freestyle wrestling – D.Tsogtbaatar (61kg)

Sambo – B.Damlanpurev (62kg)

Kickboxing – S.Batjargal (67kg)

Muay Thai – B.Gantogtokh (60kg)

MMA – S.Sukhbold (66kg)

Taekwondo – P.Byambadorj (57kg)

Amateur wrestling – B.Khash-Erdene (65kg)

To mark the 95th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Russia and Mongolian, the two countries have been organising cultural, educational and scientific events. For example, the 'Russian and Mongolian Cooperation-2016' business forum will take place in Novosibirsk from 27th to 29th of October.

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7th Coca-Cola Zero Bowling Championship continues at Misheel Expo

October 26 (UB Post) The Coca-Cola Zero Bowling Championship 2016 started on March 12 at Big Bowling Center in Misheel Expo, and its eighth stage matches were held between infrastructural organizations on October 23.

The Mongolian Bowling Amateurs Association and MCS Coca Cola LLC have been organizing the Coca-Cola Zero Bowling Championship since 2010 among 10 sectors of Mongolia; including mining, media, banking, education, health, and technology.

Over 10 organizations, including the Ulaanbaatar Electricity Distribution Network (UEDN), Ulaanbaatar Thermal Power Plant No. 3, Baganuur JSC, and Altai Trest LLC participated in the eighth stage of the Coca Cola Zero Bowling Champion-
ship.

On Sunday, bowlers of Baganuur JSC won the eighth stage of the championship with 1,615 points, and were awarded with products of Coca Cola and cash prizes. Baganuur JSC was followed by Ulaanbaatar Thermal Power Plant No. 3 with 1,524 points and UEDN with 1,497 points.

Bowler of UEDN A.Batjargal was named the best player of the championship, after collecting 205 points.

The final stage of the Coca Cola Zero Bowling Championship 2016 will take place on December at Big Bowling Center.

The first three place winners in each sector will compete in the final stage.

Tournaments among media organizations, sports federations, embassies in Mongolia and businesses, as well as education, health and infrastructure sectors have already been held.

Bowlers of MSC Coca Cola LLC will compete in November.

MCS Coca Cola LLC, the general sponsor of the event, promised to award 10 million MNT to the bowler who collects a perfect score of 300 points throughout the duration of the championship. No one has achieved 300 points in the championship to date.

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Art, Entertainment

'The Eagle Huntress' Is The Most Empowering Movie You'll See This Year

October 26 (Bustle) So far, 2016 may have brought us Margot Robbie's bat-wielding Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, Kate McKinnon's scene-stealing Holtzmann in Ghostbusters, and the promise of Felicity Jones' Star Wars lead in Rogue One, but the coolest lady you'll see in movies this year is none other than a 13-year-old girl. She may not be your typical on-screen heroine, but Aisholpan, the Mongolian star of the new documentary The Eagle Huntress, is every bit as badass as her superhero peers; the film follows her (spoiler: successful) journey to become the first female eagle hunter in her family, breaking 12 generations of tradition. Aisholpan's determination to succeed at the male-honored practice of training an eagle to hunt food, despite the enormous odds against her, is as inspiring as it gets — and her story, as captured by filmmaker Otto Bell, is simply unforgettable.

And it's only by chance that the documentary ever came to be. In 2014, Bell stumbled upon a BBC story about Aisholpan that featured photos of the teen. "They were just so beautiful and otherworldly," he tells Bustle of the photos, that "I thought, God, there's gotta be a film behind those pictures." Bell got in touch with the photographer, Asher Svidensky, and the two traveled to Mongolia to meet Aisholpan and her family. On their first visit, Bell filmed what would become the film's most stunning sequence: Aisholpan stealing a baby eagle from its nest on a mountain, with only her father's shouts and a handful of rope for support. It's a terrifying, heart-pounding scene, a remarkable show of bravery from the film's teenage star unlike anything previously seen in a documentary.

"That's when it became less about me making a film and more about, I have to tell this story," recalls Bell.

With scenes that range from Aisholpan competing against dozens of men in a eagle hunting festival to the teen laughing with friends at school, The Eagle Huntress, out Nov. 2, is a joy to watch — if also a test of one's courage (it's impossible to watch Aisholpan dangerously capture that eagle without gripping your armrest in fear). In person, Aisholpan is so shy and reserved — she speaks through a translator, but mostly lets Bell do the talking — that it's hard to imagine she's the same teen who so fearlessly defied Mongolian tradition by training an eagle to help in her hunts. Yet, when watching The Eagle Huntress, Aisholpan's bravery and unwillingness to conform displays a sense of empowerment that's truly impressive to behold.

And the effects of her actions have already proved to be huge. Through her translator, Aisholpan describes how three other girls have following her lead and are now training to be eagle hunters; seeing their success, she says, makes her "very happy and very proud." Bell, meanwhile, says he's been thrilled by the reactions the movie has provoked from its pre-teen viewers; he describes with glee the sight of kids running up after screenings to get selfies with Aisholpan. "They all cheered and clapped for her, like she was a celeb coming out of a hotel or something," Bell recalls."It was cool because they were clapping for somebody for the right reasons — not because of what she was wearing or who she was dating or something like that. It was because of what she had done, what she accomplished and what she achieved."

With such an inspiring heroine, it made sense that Bell would want an equally impressive narrator for The Eagle Huntress, and he found that in Daisy Ridley. Known for playing the badass, barrier-breaking Rey in the latest Star Wars film, the actor is a perfect choice for a story about a young girl's passion and strength — yet to Bell's surprise, it wasn't Ridley's time as Rey that made her want to get involved in the film, but the documentary's focus on the relationship between Aisholpan and her supportive father. "She said that her dad had been really supportive of her when she was growing up, and of her acting and her theatrical career," Bell says about Ridley. "And she clearly, she'd really fallen in love with Aisholpan, so she said, 'Look, what can I do to help?'" Soon after, the actor signed on as both narrator and executive producer of the film.

Ridley's involvement, plus the use of a new Sia song ("Angel By The Wings") in the movie's end credits, should help push The Eagle Huntress to mainstream success, a typically difficult feat for a documentary with an unknown subject. This film deserves to be seen — and Aisholpan deserves to be regarded as as much of a heroine as her big-screen peers.

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Related:

Inside The NYC Screening Of Buzzed-About Film, "The Eagle Huntress" – Guest of a Guest, October 26

The Incredible Story Behind the Film "The Eagle Huntress"W Magazine, October 25

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'Mother' receives two nominations at Asian film festivals

October 26 (news.mn) Mongolian director B.Erdenetsetseg's film 'Mother has been nominated at two film festivals. The movie was nominated at the "Silver Akbuzat" International Film Festival, which started in Ufa, the capital city of the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan on Monday. A total of 42 contents are competing in the nine categories of the festival.

'Mother' is also competing at the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles, which runs from 24th of October to the 1st of November. Film makers from over 50 Asian countries, including Golden Globe submissions and an Oscar nomination are participating the festival.

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Related:

Silver Akbuzat festival launching with Mongolian filmMontsame, October 26

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Mongolian pop opera group Uvertura to tour Europe

October 26 (news.mn) Mongolian pop opera group 'Uvertura' have flown to Germany for a European tour, which starts with a performance in Berlin on 30th of October. 'Uvertura' is then scheduled to perform in Warsaw (2nd of November), Prague (4th of November), Vienna (5th of November), Geneva (7th of November), Paris (11th of November), Antwerp (13th of November), Stuttgart (18th of November) and Dusseldorf (19th of November).

'Uvertura' conducted a sell-out nationwide tour in 2014. The pop-opera group was awarded a Grand-Prix at international festival of Mongolian-Buryat culture'Altargana-2010'

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Travel

Flashes of the Altai - Video

by Joey Schusler

October 26 (PinkBike) In the summer of 2015 three childhood friends, Joey Schusler, Mason Lacy, and Sam Seward set out for the far western corner of Mongolia to combine mountain biking and pack rafting in a self-supported adventure into the unknown. Never having attempted a mountain bike to pack raft link-up, they decided it was a great idea to travel to one of the most remote and sparsely populated places in the world to try it out.

The goal was to traverse the Mongolian Altai, a remote range of high glaciated peaks with silt-laden rivers draining from their heights. The only inhabitants of the region are Kazakh nomads, the last people on earth who continue the tradition of hunting with golden eagles. Ancient standing stones carved over the millennia stand guard over the landscape.

Twelve days in the wilderness, riding over high passes loaded with gear, surviving raging whitewater, drinking fermented mare's milk, and battling the elements, this was not an adventure these young lads would soon forget. 

For a full write up on their Mongolian adventure, be sure to check out the pages of the July issue of Bike Magazine.

A Film By: Joey Schusler
Featuring: Mason Lacy, Sam Seward, & Joey Schusler
Editor: Joey Schusler & Thomas Woodson

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Rolling sheep's ankle bones for sport – my night with Mongolian nomads

Travel Writer: Neil Blackbyrne on a journey across the Mongolian Steppes

October 25 (The Irish Times) Two rosy-cheeked little cherubs tumbled playfully with happy squeals around the ger, a traditional round Mongol tent, the novelty of a guest making bedtime a reluctant conclusion to the evening's fun. On my part, the flush of childish happiness was more than mutual.

I had crossed the border from Russia two days before.

While the breath still froze in front of my face, the dusty orange dawns and purple dusks of the Mongolian desert were warmer on the eye than the snow and ice of Siberia.

In the coldest capital city in the world, Ulan Bator, I hired a guide and we set out in a little red Nissan van to explore the vast swathes of the Mongolian Steppes, where hundreds of miles of featureless horizons made the occasional sight of a golden eagle perched on the side of the path or a megalomaniacal silver statue of Genghis Khan all the more awesome.

As pantheistic brushstrokes painted the sky from day to dusk the little van chugged diligently across the scrub until a small white ger came slowly into view. Outside, a man in a green smock tied with a bright orange sash was securing a horse to a post.

He shook our hands with a smile and beckoned us inside his home where his wife was preparing dinner while his two young girls watched cartoons on a television powered by a car battery.

Reaching for a jug of fermented horse milk or airag, he filled a small copper bowl and invited me to drink. My face momentarily betrayed my stomach's misgivings but I accepted as I had been shown beforehand, right palm outstretched, fingers of the left hand under the elbow of the right arm and head bowed.

Hard-earned teenage lessons of illicit cider served me well as I swallowed the contents in two big gulps, much to his satisfaction. Passing back the bowl I hoped he didn't notice the second hard swallow to keep it all down.

My guide pointed out the wonderful orange colour of the beams supporting the roof and how it matched the colour of the sash our host wore. "Very important colour to Mongolians," she said. "It represents morning."

As the airag warmed our senses and the sing-song voices filled the ger, the ritual of the copper bowl continued as we rolled sheep's ankle bones for sport and I instructed the children in the ways of the Western selfie.

Our host then asked what age I was and whether or not I was married. When he heard I was 30 and unmarried he smiled softly in wonder at the nonchalant nature of my response.

The jug drained, we nestled under a mound of animal skins on the floor drunk in the warmth of the welcome and the unspoken companionship of sharing.

Before we fell asleep our host made one final wish: "The next time you come to Mongolia, " my guide translated, "we must all visit his brother."

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