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Tuesday, June 3, 2014
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Erdene Intersects High Grade Gold and Base Metal Zone at Altan Nar; 5 Metres of 17.7 g/t Gold, 69 g/t Silver, 2.1% Lead and 2.5% Zinc Within 19 Metres of 5.8 g/t Gold
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - June 2, 2014) - Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD) ("Erdene" or "Company"), is pleased to provide final drilling results for its second quarter exploration program at the Company's wholly-owned Altan Nar gold-polymetallic project in southwest Mongolia.
Highlights
· Highest grade gold interval at Altan Nar; 17.7 g/t gold over 5 m, within 19 m of 5.8 g/t gold, 37 g/t silver and 2.62% combined lead and zinc intersected in Discovery Zone ("DZ")
· High-grade intersection projects to surface where trenching returned 44 m of 1.1 g/t gold and 11 m of 3.0 g/t gold
· DZ strike length extended to 450 m and is open to the northeast and at depth where drilling returned 6 m of 4.8 g/t gold at 235 m
· Continuity of Union North (1.3 km northwest of DZ) established at depth and along strike with multiple gold-silver-base metal zones intersected, including 24 m of 2.1 g/t gold
· Expanded surface exploration has resulted in improved definition of 12 high-priority targets over a 5.6 km by 1.5 km area that remain relatively untested by drilling
…
Exploration Overview
The Q2 2014 exploration program at Altan Nar commenced in early April and included an induced polarization ("IP") geophysical survey, close-spaced infill geochemical soil sampling, rock chip sampling, detailed geological mapping, and drilling. Results support the continued expansion of the gold-polymetallic mineralization within the 5.6 km by 1.5 km target area at Altan Nar. The combination of detailed surface mapping, geochemical analysis of soil and rock samples, along with IP and magnetic geophysical surveys has resulted in improved definition of 12 highly prospective targets. Two of these targets, the Discovery Zone and Union North, have been shown to host significant near-surface mineralization while the remainder remain relatively un-tested by trenching and drilling. These zones have the potential to significantly expand the areas of known gold-polymetallic mineralization at Altan Nar with further exploration.
Exploration, including delineation and exploration drilling, trenching and expanded geotechnical surveys is expected to continue at Altan Nar during the remainder of 2014 with the goal of establishing a maiden National Instrument 43-101 compliant resource and the identification of further gold, silver, lead and zinc mineralization amenable to open pit development.
YAK closed +0.76%, MNGGF closed -0.33% Monday to C$2.65, US$2.41
Mongolia Growth Group Relocates Corporate Headquarters, Geneviève Walkden Promoted to Corporate Secretary
Toronto, Ontario, June 2 (FSCwire) - Mongolia Growth Group Ltd. (YAK:TSXV and MNGGF:USA) ("MGG") or ("the Company") www.mongoliagrowthgroup.com, a real estate investment and development company pursuing the dynamic growth of the Mongolian economy via ownership of institutional-quality commercial property assets in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, today announced that it has moved its corporate headquarters to Toronto from Thunder Bay, in order to be closer to the financial markets and investors.
Jordan Calonego, a co-founder of Mongolia Growth Group, has informed the Company that he has decided to remain in Thunder Bay and step-down from his managerial duties as the Company's COO and Corporate Secretary, in order to remain closer to his family and other business interests. Genevieve Walkden, who has been with the Company since 2011, will succeed Mr. Calonego as Corporate Secretary. Mr. Calonego will remain an active board member of MGG.
"During our first trip to Mongolia in the summer of 2010," said Jordan Calonego, "Harris and I had the vision of creating a company that would allow us to invest our own money in the tremendous growth that will occur in Mongolia over the next few decades. We set out to build a venerable organization that would incorporate best practices in terms of transparency, corporate governance and accountability. Now, having created the framework for success and having hired an exceptional real estate professional and leader, Paul Byrne, we have achieved what we set out to accomplish and my role will transition to that of an active board member."
"I want to sincerely thank Jordan for his efforts on behalf of our company over the past three years and the many months of work before the Company was founded," said Harris Kupperman, Executive Chairman of MGG. "We have accomplished much of what we set out to do over the past three years and I am most appreciative that Jordan will remain engaged as an active board member."
XAM trading -10.4% to A$0.043 just before close
Xanadu Mines: KHARMAGTAI COPPER-GOLD PROJECT TRANSACTION COMPLETED
HIGHLIGHTS
– Xanadu and Mongol Metals complete the Kharmagtai transaction.
– Kharmagtai is an advanced gold-rich porphyry with excellent growth potential.
– Completion of the transaction clears the way to start drilling.
KHARMAGTAI TRANSACTION COMPLETED
June 3 -- Xanadu Mines Ltd (ASX: XAM – "Xanadu") is pleased to announce that it, and its joint venture company, Mongol Metals LLC ("Mongol Metals"), have completed the Kharmagtai transaction with Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd ("THR"). Mongol Metals has transferred the initial consideration of US$4.0 million to THR in exchange for a 90% interest in Oyut Ulaan LLC, which in turn owns 100% of the advanced Kharmagtai porphyry copper-gold exploration project.
Xanadu's Managing Director, Mr George Lloyd, said: "The Kharmagtai transaction represents the final stages of a very significant transformation of the company into a focussed explorer with two advanced, gold-rich porphyry copper projects in Mongolia's renowned south Gobi copper belt.
Xanadu's copper-gold projects are some of the highest-grade porphyry projects being actively explored in Asia today. Kharmagtai is a gold-rich porphyry system with excellent potential to extend the known mineralisation in addition to making new discoveries."
The completion of the transaction clears the way for Xanadu to mobilise its drilling contractors to the Kharmagtai site, with drilling expected to commence imminently.
Tsetsens Mining's Tsaidam coal, Centerra Gold's Gatsuurt gold deposits seek strategic designation
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) Tsetsens Mining and Energy LLC and Centerra Gold Mongolia LLC separately submitted to the Mining Ministry their requests to include Tsaidam coal deposit and Gatsuurt gold deposit into the list of strategic deposits.
The Government has submitted to parliament a draft resolution requesting including of the above two deposits to the list of strategic deposits of Mongolia.
Tsetsens Mining and Energy LLC, who has been working on projects of coal gasification and liquefaction in Tsaidam, wants to cooperate with the Government in these projects, says Mining Deputy Minister O.Erdenebulgan. For the Gatsuurt gold deposit, it has a comparably smaller reserve of 50-60 ton of gold (Mogi: concentrate right?). However, under collaboration with the Government, its investments are expected to grow by USD 300 million, says O.Erdenebulgan.
CG closed -19.74% to C$3.70 Monday on the news
Centerra Gold to Shutter Kumtor Mine Next Week if No Permits
June 2 (WSJ) Centerra Gold Inc. (CG.T) will begin shutting down operations at its Kumtor mine in the Kyrgyz Republic on June 13 if it still has not received the necessary government approvals and permits for Kumtor's 2014 mining plan.
The Toronto-based gold miner said it has been working with relevant government agencies since late 2013 to obtain approvals, and will continue to do so until the end of next week.
"The continuing absence of such approval and permits creates significant uncertainty and risks for Centerra and its employees," the company said in a statement Monday.
Kumtor has been mired in political and environmental controversies for many years.
Late last year, Centerra reached an agreement with the Kyrgyz government and state-owned Kyrgyzaltyn JSC to restructure the ownership of the Kumtor mine, which is one of the country's key economic assets. The deal would see Kyrgyzaltyn exchange its 32.7% equity interest in Centerra for a 50% stake in a joint-venture company that would own Kumtor. As of early last month, the deal had not been ratified amid political uncertainty in the central Asian country.
Centerra said the shutdown's effect on future operations would depend in part on its length. It said an extended shutdown "would likely have a material adverse impact on the Kumtor mine and the company's operations, future cash flows, earnings, results of operations and financial condition," Centerra said.
News of the potential shutdown sent Centerra's stock down 23% to C$3.55 in recent Toronto Stock Exchange trading. Shares were halted before the company issued its statement.
Centerra's Kumtor mine produced 600,402 ounces of gold in 2013. The company earned nearly $158 million last year on revenue of $944 million. It also owns the Boroo gold mine in Mongolia.
TRQ closed +0.84% to US$3.62
Rio Tinto Continues Trimming the Fat with Layoffs in Mongolia
By Rich Duprey
June 2 (Motley Fool) So tantalizingly close, yet so disappointingly far apart. That might be the best way to describe Rio Tinto's position with its investment in Oyu Tolgoi, the Mongolian copper and gold project in the Gobi desert.
Long involved in a cantankerous relationship with its government partner, which owns 34% of the mine, Rio Tinto has run into opposition over who should pay how much to expand operations there (Mogi: ummm, not really). It was forced to halt development of the underground portion of the project, where some 80% of the mine's value is estimated to reside. Its Turquoise Hill Resources (NYSE:TRQ) unit, which owns the other two-thirds of Oyu Tolgoi, has faced financial difficulties along the way as well and last year laid off some 1,700 workers, which seemingly further poisoned the well of amity between the parties.
Now Rio Tinto says it will lay off hundreds more workers as it continues to rein in costs across far-flung operations. The copper and gold project may be potentially lucrative, but with all the hurdles that remain in its path to realizing its full value, Oyu Tolgoi becomes an easy target for the budget ax.
Oyu Tolgoi is one of the five largest copper projects in the world, with Rio Tinto producing 77,000 tonnes of copper last year, toward the low end of the 75,000 to 85,000 tonnes it estimated the site would produce. It also produced 157,000 ounces of gold. During the first quarter of 2014, however, Turquoise Hill said the mine achieved its first month of positive operating cash flow in March.
Over its lifetime, the mine is projected to annually produce more than 1.2 billion pounds of copper, 650,000 ounces of gold, and 3 million ounces of silver. Shipments to China also began last year after a series of delays imposed by Mongolia. Analysts predict that if the project gets fully financed and hits peak production, it could boost the country's economy by 35% by 2020.
Despite the disagreements over financing the mine's underground expansion, everyone remains committed to seeing it done, and Turquoise Hill said earlier this month that 14 of the 15 banks participating in financing Oyu Tolgoi agreed to extend their commitment letters through the end of September. As a result, Turquoise Hill said it now has sufficient commitments to reach its funding goal and still expects a response from the holdout bank soon.
That September deadline represents the time frame by which Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill, and the Mongolian government need to resolve their differences. Among them are revenue-sharing issues, access to water, past-due taxes, and cost overruns on the project. Last summer, Mongolia initiated an audit of the mine operations to understand how Rio Tinto had exceeded the original budget by some $2 billion.
Despite the hard stance it has taken, Mongolia has also softened elsewhere as it seeks to regain miner and investor confidence in its country as a place to do business. Once referred to as "Minegolia" because of its potential, a boom in commodity prices found the government greedily seeking to renegotiate settled contracts so as to extract greater profits for itself. With the subsequent collapse in commodities, though, the unfavorable business conditions the government erected left it with a dearth of investment. Direct foreign investment was cut in half last year and was down another 65% in the first quarter of 2014.
The government's deputy minister of economic development admitted it went off the rails a bit, telling the Financial Times, "Mongolia has learnt a good lesson ... the important thing for us is to create good jobs and good revenues." Oyu Tolgoi is the straw that stirs the mining drink in Mongolia, and is seen as the barometer for whether the government is serious about returning to investors' good graces.
That bodes well for getting the copper and gold project back on track, but doesn't stand in the way of Rio Tinto's needs to continue cutting costs. Those weakened commodity prices continue to play havoc with the miner's performance; until a consensus is reached, Oyu Tolgoi will need to see the fat trimmed just as much if not more so than any of the company's other projects around the globe.
MSE News for June 2: Top 20 -0.86% to 14,686.48, Turnover ₮26.2 Million
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 /MONTSAME/ At the Stock Exchange trades held Monday, a total of 31 thousand and 950 shares of 29 JSCs were traded costing MNT 26 million 161 thousand and 036.00.
"Remikon" /10 thousand and 100 units/, "Mongolia Development" /10 thousand units/, "Silikat" /4,000 units/, "Genco tour bureau" /3,885 units/ and "APU" /1,292 units/ were the most actively traded in terms of trading volume, in terms of trading value--"Mongolia Development" (MNT seven million), "APU" (MNT four million and 506 thousand), "Bayangol hotel" (MNT two million and 550 thousand), "Talkh chikher" (MNT two million 069 thousand and 200) and "UB-BUK" (MNT two million).
The total market capitalization was set at MNT one trillion 513 billion 819 million 902 thousand and 512. The Index of Top-20 JSCs was 14,686.48, decreasing by MNT 127.89 or 0.86% against the previous day.
BoM MNT Rates: Monday, June 2 Close
| 6/2 | 5/30 | 5/29 | 5/28 | 5/27 |
USD | 1,821.08 | 1,818.65 | 1,818.32 | 1,821.46 | 1,825.34 |
EUR | 2,477.85 | 2,475.36 | 2,471.73 | 2,481.01 | 2,491.41 |
CNY | 291.47 | 291.13 | 291.05 | 291.01 | 292.18 |
GBP | 3,050.40 | 3,047.15 | 3,036.96 | 3,054.86 | 3,079.90 |
RUB | 52.18 | 52.35 | 52.49 | 52.79 | 53.24 |
May, June MNT Chart:
BoM issues ₮259 billion 1-week bills, total outstanding +4.45% to ₮698.7 billion
June 2 (Bank of Mongolia) BoM issues 1 week bills worth MNT 259 billion at a weighted interest rate of 10.5 percent per annum /For previous auctions click here/
President Rejects Prime Minister's Nominee for Minister of Industry and Agriculture
June 2 (infomongolia.com) It was previously reported that the Minister for Industry and Agriculture of Mongolia, M P Khaltmaa BATTULGA was resigned from his post and Minister of Mining D.Gankhuyag concurrently holds as an Acting Minister of Industry and Agriculture since May 16, 2014.
Afterwards, Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag promoted his candidacy for Minister of Industry and Agriculture as MP Sharavdorj TUVDENDORJ and sent a letter of compromise to the President of Mongolia.
Today on June 02, 2014, President Ts.Elbegdorj gave an official respond to the letter that reads an appointment of an authority should provide a clear separation between the legislative and executive bodies and it is a time to start the implementation of this procedure. In other words, a Minister's post should not double-hold along with membership of the State Great Khural (Parliament).
Thereof, I, President of Mongolia, reject the Prime Minister's proposal within this respond to promote a member of the Parliament as a member of the Cabinet and please re-consider the promotion issue to appoint a new candidature.
MP Sh.Tuvdendorj, who is a Chairman of Legal Standing Committee, was promoted by Democratic Party Executive Council meeting held on May 29, 2014.
Former Minister Kh.Battulga had requested to resign on his own will on the grounds not to hold a double-post.
Related:
President vetoes nominee for Minister of Industry and Agriculture – news.mn, June 2
MRAM Chairman Dismissed - Cabinet Meeting in Brief
June 2 (infomongolia.com) Cabinet meeting resolutions in brief: May 31, 2014
- Minister of Foreign Affairs L.Bold introduced a high-level international workshop on "WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation: Implications for LLDCs" to take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on June 02-03, 2014.
- The summary of visit of the President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj to the Fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) held in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China on May 20-21, 2014 was revised and agreed to submit to the National Security Council of Mongolia.
- Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is conducting an official visit to Mongolia on June 03-04, 2014 and it was agreed to submit the guideline to adhere by the Government to Prime Minister of Mongolia for approval.
- It was resolved to issue a Decree by Prime Minister of Mongolia on signing an intergovernmental agreement between Mongolia and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on repatriating dinosaur skeletons related to Prokopi case and Oviraptor dinosaur egg fossils in terms of undoubtedly conditions, which were proved smuggled from Mongolian territory and being kept as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's property.
The agreement to co-sign representing the Government of Mongolia is entrusted by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the United States of America, Mr. Bulgaa ALTANGEREL.
- Minister for Labor of Mongolia Ya.Sanjmyatav is entrusted to co-sign the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation to Promote Decent Work between the Government of Mongolia and International Labour Organization.
- The summary of visit headed by Mongolian Minister of Health to the 67th Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) took place in Geneva on May 19-24, 2014 was introduced to the Cabinet members.
- Chairman of General Authority for Implementing Court Decisions is appointed as S.Bayandalai and Chairman of Mineral Resources Authority G.Altansukh was dismissed from his post.
Related:
Cabinet Meeting in Brief – Montsame, June 2
Last law made by People's Republic of Mongolia to be renewed
June 2 (news.mn) Almost two decades has passed since Mongolia's first President, P.Ochirbat, dampened the upper lapel of his deel with the crude oil springing from the Tamsag Basin, toasting to the future of Mongolia that would process at least a small amount of the "liquid gold" coming from Mongolian land to provide the countries petroleum needs themselves.
Mongolians are now seeing that the first President`s hope has failed. Mongolia is still 100 percent dependent on fuel imports. It is interesting that there has been a practice of laying the foundations of oil refinery plants before elections in Mongolia. As Ministers report during the plenary session meeting of Parliament last Friday, six companies have been granted the rights to oil resources. But this may all be just a show.
Last Friday MPs agreed to discuss the Petroleum Law of Mongolia. If the law is passed, the last law of the People's Republic of Mongolia will be renewed. The current petroleum law was adopted a year before the Constitution law was ratified in 1992. A new draft petroleum law is due to be discussed as there is a lot of mess regarding the implementation of the Petroleum law of the Mongolian People`s Republic since the "Regulation for implementing the petroleum law of the Mongolian People's Republic" was passed by the Government resolution. The current Petroleum law is said to have articles that are unable to regulate relations for oil processing entities, it hard to understand and full of discrepancies. The new draft law is one that had been turned down a several times.
It is true that there is a need to renew the law due to the massive socio-economic changes that occurred in Mongolia from 1991 to 2014. However some MPs are afraid the new law may be worse than the old one.
The mining sector has been a priority in Mongolia`s economy in recent years. It is estimated unofficially that Mongolia has resource of 200 billion tons of crude oil. This is enough to process and provide for the national petroleum demand and even build sub-plants.
During the era of socialism between 1950 to 1969 Mongolia provided over 20 percent of national oil product demand with 956,7 thousand tons of crude oil processing from Zuunbayan in Dornogovi aimag. Since Mongolia`s transition to a market economy, the issue was raised about providing Mongolia's own national oil products, but no substantial changes have been made so far. Some people explain it away with the influence of national oil importers.
Now Mongolia imports large amounts of oil products from other countries: 80 percent from Russia, and the rest from Kazakhstan and China. Mongolia was under the process of forming an agreement with Japan to build an oil refinery plant in Darkhan. But the agreement was forced to come to a halt as the plant was only to process imported crude oil, according to the Mining Minister.
However, Mongolia has focused on attracting investment in oil extraction since 1990. In the scope of this policy, Mongolia marked out 22 oil fields (including 13 oil basins) and launched an international bidding competition to draw in international investors. Currently, China's state-owned PetroChina is working in the oil fields in Dornod Province.
There is a high expectation that proper issues regarding oil exploration, extraction and processing will be raised during the new draft law discussion. Somehow the law that has been turned down several times has now been approved in the first stages.
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Mogi: Reposting as it looks like ING did not "offload" this Khan debt as I've previously suggested, but sold it to a client bullish on Mongolia/MNT
ING Sells Largest Notes on Mongolian Bank Debt Amid Credit Boom
By Luca Casiraghi
May 29 (Bloomberg) -- ING Groep NV sold the largest note linked to the credit of a Mongolian bank as the ratings of the country's lenders are at risk because of rapid credit growth.
The Dutch bank marketed $8.1 million of three-month notes tied to the debt of Khan Bank LLC, the largest lender in Mongolia, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The securities pay a 6.5 percent coupon and are also linked to the Mongolian tugrik.
Khan Bank's credit rating may be lowered from a junk B1 grade because of a big increase in its loan book, Moody's Investors Service said in January. The Ulaanbaatar-based lender's assets grew 72 percent to 4.8 trillion tugrik ($2.6 billion) last year, according to its website.
Mongolia's B1 sovereign rating, four steps below investment grade, may also be cut because of the financial system's rapid loan growth, higher external debt and dwindling foreign exchange reserves, Moody's said on May 26. The country's outside debt almost doubled to $18.9 billion in the two years to 2013, according to the report.
Notes connected to the credit of Mongolian companies "tend to be more bespoke and can be structured by linking it to any exposure in the underlying name, not necessarily bonds," Srinivas Uriti, ING's Singapore-based head of emerging market trading and capital markets, wrote in an e-mail. He declined to provide further details of the debt connected to the notes.
(wasn't available on the site yet)
MRAM, PAM Contribute ₮12.8 Billion, ₮69.2 Billion in April to State Budget
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) Two affiliated agencies of the Mining Ministry, the Minerals Authority and the Petroleum Authority collected together 81.5 billion togrog to the Government budget last month, says a Ministry officer.
The Minerals Authority put 12.8 billion togrog to the Government budget last month, collecting 11.6 billion of which from license fees (exploration and exploitation), 577.3 million togrog from indemnities, and 660.7 million from others.
The Petroleum Authority collected 69.2 billion togrog in May, 68.7 billion as petroleum incomes, and 549.3 million as others, says the Ministry officer.
Mongolia Produces 360 Thousand KWh of Electricity in April, 96.3% of Planned
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) A total of 19 Mongolian firms produced in this April electricity of 360.1 thousand kWh or 96.3% of planned, says an officer from the Energy Ministry.
An overwhelming part of the electricity was produced by energy companies of the central region of the country, and 74% of it was produced by traditional sources, the remaining 26% by non-traditional sources.
For renewable energy sources, hydroelectric plants at Dorgon, Taishir and Bogd rivers outperformed what they had planned in April, while performance of the Salkhit wind farm stood at 65% of the planned, meaning no significant changes occurred in performances compared to previous months.
Mogi: oh Dale
BCM is promoting suspicious article by a firm fined for fraud in US on a case by SEC, Chairman heavily promotes Government's economic boost plan while "advocating" for investors?
By Dale Choi
May 30 (Independent Mongolian Metals & Mining Research) --
· BCM, which calls itself "premier business association" in Mongolia has promoted "The Market is Ignoring One of the World's Greatest Growth Stories" article by Kim Iskyan of Stansberry & Associates Investment Research. We will comment on the article in detail later on its possible breaches of established investment industry standards of professional conduct.
· The article seems suspicious as, according to Wikipedia, "Frank Porter Stansberry is an American financial publisher and author. Stansberry founded Stansberry & Associates Investment Research, a private publishing company based in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1999.[1]"
"SEC case[edit]- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_Stansberry
In 2003, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought a case against Stansberry for a "scheme to defraud public investors by disseminating false information in several Internet newsletters."[1][16][17] A federal court, upheld on appeal, found that Stansberry had sent out a newsletter to subscribers, predicting one company's stock was about to soar. Stansberry maintains that his information came from a company executive; the court found that he fabricated the source.[1] The company's stock price did increase for the reasons Stansberry had pinpointed, but about a month later than Stansberry had predicted.[1] In 2007, he and his investment firm, then called "Pirate Investor," were ordered by a U.S. District Court to pay $1.5 million in restitution and civil penalties. The court rejected Stansberry's 1st Amendment defense, saying "Stansberry's conduct undoubtedly involved deliberate fraud, making statements that he knew to be false."[16]
· Also, the Chairman of BCM Mr. B. Byambasaikhan appears to be currently actively involved in promoting Government of Mongolia's economic boost plan with reported concurrent position of Secretary of Economic Council under the plan with slogans such as to " double Mongolia's GDP to 20-30 billion USD in 5-10 years, increase economy ten times by 2030" raising questions on possible conflict of interest with the association's mandate to "represent all investors in Mongolia, domestic and foreign, on business climate issues.Advocacy efforts with the Government, Ministry and Parliamentary officials on issues vital to investors in Mongola are of utmost importance". "Advocating" for investors while heavily promoting Government's agenda? ( and also being among many other things Managing Partner of NovaTerra , investment, project management and financial advisory firm)
· In 2013, BCM passed advocacy efforts on Draft Minerals Law to Mongolian National Mining Association, one the reasons being reported pressure on BCM from Mongolian authorities. Some foreign investors were displeased with BCM's move at that time as they were not quite comfortable with Mongolian National Mining Association.
Mogi: just Germans or hopefully perhaps it's going down a list of countries
Immigration Agency Chief Meets Mongolia-Based Germans
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) The chief of the Immigration Agency of Mongolia B.Purevdorj met in Ulaanbaatar with German-nationals residing in Mongolia.
During the meeting, the chief officer answered questions of Mongolia-based Germans, and introduced to them currently effective documents including a law on legal status and environment of foreign nationals residing in Mongolia, a law on border ports, a procedure of visa-issuance of Mongolia, and a procedure of registration for foreign nationals in Mongolia, as well as prevention from crimes and offences.
Premier Attends Opening of Winter Greenhouse Funded by Chinggis Bonds
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) The Prime Minister of Mongolia N.Altankhuyag attended last Saturday an opening ceremony of a winter greenhouse built up under a funding from the capital of the Government bonds.
Tumen Suikh LLC received a long-term soft loan of 940 million togrog from the sale incomes of the Genghis Bonds (Mogi: huh? Genghis?) of the Mongolian Government to open this first ever winter greenhouse with advanced Holland technology in northern Songino Khairkhan district of Ulaanbaatar. This year, Tumen Suikh is planning to harvest 65 ton of cucumber in their winter greenhouse.
The Government has planned to allot 27 million togrog (Mogi: just 27mil?) from its bonds to building-up of winter greenhouses to supply the demand of vegetables with ones grown in this kind of facility from domestic products, thus reducing the imports. Some eighty companies took part in the tender of winter house, 16 of which have been selected to receive needed funding.
Today, Mongolia annually grows 4,600 ton of garden vegetables out of 40 thousand ton needed, said Agriculture Deputy Minister Ts.Tuvaan.
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WELCOME TO ULAANBAATAR (Time Lapse)
By Lhaagaa Tsedev
May 1 -- This is the first time lapse for me. My time lapse explores how the Ulaanbaatar city changes from day to night and bla bla.. There is no writing and no film script.
Special thanks to friends
"4 months. 1 camera. 49 shoots. 120 gigabytes of data. 13,000 photographs.
Music: Odonbat Remix [TBA]
www.facebook.com/odonbat
www.facebook.com/luuya.bold
Copyright © All Images Lhaagaa.Tsedev Photography, www.facebook.com/lhaagaa
Slideshow: Improving Access to Information on Waste Management in Mongolia
Asia Foundation: More than half of the 1.2 million residents of Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar, live in the city's sprawling ger areas, and the majority of residents lack access to basic public services such as water, sewage systems, electricity, and safe waste disposal, and educational resources including libraries. While the majority of ger residents are poor, living standards vary, with some earning a decent income but still unable to afford the high prices of new apartments elsewhere in the city.
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Diplomacy
Cabinet Discusses PM's SPIEF 2014 Attendance
June 2 (infomongolia.com) The regular Cabinet meeting of the Government was held on May 31, 2014, where the official visit headed by the Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag to the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum 2014 (SPIEF) held in the Russian Federation last May 22-24 was revised and agreed to submit summary of the visit to the National Security Council of Mongolia obliged by Foreign Minister L.Bold.
Premier N.Altankhuyag participated at the 2014 SPIEF themed under "Sustaining Confidence in a World Undergoing Transformation" and during the Forum held a meeting with the Russian President V.V.Putin, where sides discussed opportunities on strengthening bilateral political, commercial and economic ties and exchanged views in broad ranges on accelerating issues being concerned mutual interests and the Government of Mongolia deems by reaching a consensus on certain issues, it would be impetus on further bilateral relations.
Prime Minister also met with President of Russian Railways Company V.I.Yakunin, CEO of Russian Technologies Corporation S.V.Chemezov and Head of Rosatom Corporation S.V.Kiriyenko to enhance productivity of Mongolia-Russia joint ventures and its beneficial cooperation, and exchanged views on collaboration in uranium sector as well.
Related:
Cabinet Discusses PM's Participation in SPIEF – Montsame, June 1
Defense Minister Meets US, Singapore, France, Japan, Myanmar Counterparts at Shangri-La Dialogue
June 2 (infomongolia.com) On May 30-June 02, 2014, Mongolian delegates led by Minister of Defense D.Bat-Erdene have attended the 13th IISS Asia Security Summit: The Shangri-La Dialogue held in the Republic of Singapore, where representatives of the Institute for Strategic Studies at the National Security Council of Mongolia and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Republic of Singapore, Mrs. B.Delgermaa were present.
The 13th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit: The Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) was attended by defense ministers, military chiefs and other senior government representatives from some 27 countries of Asia-Pacific states such as participants of Australia, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, People's Republic of China, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, United Kingdom, and United States.
During the Shangri-La Dialogue, Defense Minister D.Bat-Erdene held separate meetings with Minister for Defense of Singapore Dr. Ng Eng Hen, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Minister for Defense of the French Republic Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Defense of Japan Itsunori Onodera, Deputy Minister for Defense of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Aung Tau to discuss issues concerning regional securities and bilateral relations and partnership in defense sector. Minister D.Bat-Erdene also met with the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.
UN Counter-Terrorism Working Group on Visit to Review Mongolia's Compliance
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs D.Gankhuyag last week received a delegation headed by Mr Hassan Baage, a chief of the United Nations Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate's division on technical assistance.
They discussed issues of a visit of the UN Counter-Terrorism committee's working group paid to Mongolia on May 26-30, 2014 in order to ensure the implementation of the #1373, #1624, #1267 and #1540 resolutions issued by the UN Security Council for combating terrorism. In frames of this visit, the working group's officials have held meetings with authorities of the anti-terrorism bodies of Mongolia, and got acquainted with realization of the #1373 and #1624 resolutions.
At the meeting, the sides shared views on rendering technical assistance from the UN for enhancing Mongolia's capability to combat terrorism.
FM Meets Visiting Zambian Minister for Trade
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) Foreign Minister L.Bold met Monday with Trade and Industry Minister of Zambia Mr Zambia Sichinga in Ulaanbaatar.
At the meeting, the sides shared views on further cooperation, facing issues of landlocked countries, and transit transport experiences.
Mr Sichinga is attending the meeting of landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) on Trade Facilitation Agreement of the World Trade Organization: Implications for LLDCs, being organized in Ulaanbaatar by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolian and the United Nations.
Mongolia Invited to Join Eurasian Economic Union
June 2 (infomongolia.com) On June 02, 2014, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Mongolia Kalybek Ibragimovich Koblandin and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Mongolia Iskander Kubarovich Azizov have called a press conference at "Mongol News" press center in Ulaanbaatar regarding the Eurasian Economic Commission.
The regular Session of the Supreme Eurasian Council was held in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 29, 2014, where the three founding members of the Customs Union - Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia - have signed a Treaty on Creation of Eurasian Economic Union, which is effective from January 01, 2015.
The Treaty was inked by the Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia - Alexander Lukashenko, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin.
By establishing the Eurasian Economic Union, the three countries assume commitments to guarantee free movement of goods, services, capitals and manpower and pursue a well-orchestrated policy in such key economic industries as energy, production industries, agriculture and transport sector. Moreover, creating together a powerful and attractive centre of economic development, a major regional market which brings together more than 170 million people, notes Ambassador K.I.Koblandin.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan also added that any country is enabled to join the Eurasian Economic Union and even for Mongolia is open. Currently, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan have submitted their requests to join the Union, besides over 40 states such as China, India, Israel, New Zealand, Turkey and Vietnam have forwarded its interests to become a member-state.
The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is a permanent supranational regulatory body of the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space functioning since February 02, 2012.
Major spheres of competence of the Eurasian Economic Commission are as follows:
- Payment and distribution of import customs duties;
- Establishing trade regimes in respect of third countries;
- Statistics of foreign and mutual trade;
- Macroeconomic policy;
- Competition policy;
- Industrial and agricultural subsidies;
- Energy policy;
- Natural monopolies;
- State and /or municipal procurements;
- Reciprocal trade in services and investments;
- Transportation and haulage;
- Currency policy;
- Protection of intellectual property rights and means of individualization of products, works and services;
- Labor migration;
- Financial markets (banks, insurance, foreign exchange market, securities market);
U.S. Air Force Base in Guam Hosts Mongolia, Tonga, Thailand and Australia on Expert Exchange
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam, June 2 (AFNS) -- Andersen Air Force Base hosted a Security Forces Pacific Defender international subject-matter expert exchange, or SMEE, May 19-23, to help build partnerships across the Pacific region and promote interoperability.
The four-day event included service members from Mongolia, Tonga, Thailand and Australia.
The event was co-hosted by senior security forces members from headquarters Pacific Air Force and intended to build strong personal relationships and cooperation between the U.S. and allies in the Asia-Pacific region. During the event, members toured the 36th Contingency Response Group and the 736th Security Forces Squadron here, where key programs on training, tactics and techniques were demonstrated for the attendees by security forces members.
"During the (exchange) our defenders were able to share knowledge on various programs via briefings and training they received," said Maj. Dennis Trutwin, the 736th SFS commander.
In addition to briefings and tours, attendees received combatives and weapons training.
"The tactical training we received was a very good learning experience for us," said Mongolian armed forces 1st Lt. Khash-Erdene Erdensaikhan, the Air and Air Defense Command General Staff of Mongolian armed forces flight inspector. "I will definitely be taking the information I learned back to my country and use it to improve my military."
His Majesty's armed forces of Tonga Maj. Soane Aholelei, from the Officer Commanding Military Training School, said that Pacific Defender helped him realize that his background in infantry training has strong similarities to the way U.S. Airmen conduct tactical training.
"I was able to gather even more knowledge from the training to add on to what I already know, such as the use of tactics, techniques and procedures," he said. "Being able to work side-by-side with our allies and exchange information was an awesome experience."
During the SMEE, attendees spent the day at the PACAF Regional Training Center's Commando Warrior program, which gave the individuals a chance to see how the 36th CRG annually trains more than 1,500 Airmen prior to deployments.
"Being able to observe the training that goes on at Commando Warrior and seeing all the hard work that goes on was interesting," said Ronarong Ariya, the Royal Thai Air Force squadron leader. "Our allies have different ways of training, but we all come together to get the mission done in the end."
Throughout the exchange, the attendees were able to enjoy some Andersen AFB and Guam-specific experiences, taking in Guam culture and observing Andersen AFB's security force operations.
"I enjoyed the SMEE; I have learned much knowledge," Aholelei said. "Being able to talk with our allies and update each other with current standard operating procedures will prove helpful during any crisis we may face together. We will maintain our tactical edge assisting the U.S. in the fight against terrorism and try to help out as much as we can."
Turkish Ambassador Works in Khentii Province
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkey to Mongolia Mr Murat Karagoz visited Khentii province to participate economic and cultural measures, and to study business environment of Turkish investors on May 31-June 1.
In frames of the working visit, Mr Murat was received by local administration and held meetings with business delegates before giving an interview to local press.
After this, the Ambassador Mr Murat visited Dadal, Bayan-Ondor and Omnodelger soums and attended in worshipping ceremony of Mountain Ondorkhaan and cultural event.
The sides say, this visit will contribute in boosting ties between the two countries in economy and trade spheres.
Ambassador Murat Karagöz: Expect more from Turkey
June 2 (Mongolian Economy) This year is the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Mongolia, established in 1969. Mongolian Economy spoke to Turkish Ambassador Murat Karagöz about the development and future of Mongolia-Turkey relations.
What is special about the relationship between Turkey and Mongolia?
Today's Turkey and Mongolia are inheritors of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural [characters]. Mongolia is the inheritor of the great Chinggis Empire whereas modern Turkey is the successor of the Ottoman Empire. Moreover, the very first Turkish states in history were established on this territory. The Turkish inscriptions carved on stones are spread widely in Mongolia.
When I'm on the street in Mongolia, I notice many Mongolians speaking Turkish who studied Turkish in Mongolia or Turkey or finished their universities in Turkey. That feature connects us as well. There are a many common words in our languages because the Turkish and Mongolian do belong to the same language family, called Altai.
We definitely increased our cooperation throughout the last 45 years. We achieved a lot and I guess we are achieving more – day by day. Our relationship will be more intense, more robust marching towards strategic partnership.
How can we cooperate in the tourism sector?
Mongolia is an exotic and beautiful country. Don't take it as a compliment. It is a reality. Territory-wise Mongolia is a huge country and it has a rich culture and landscape.
Mongolia is not only composed of Ulaanbaatar. It has 21 aimags and each and every one offers great variety of opportunities. In my judgment, Mongolia has great potential in tourism. It is important to recognize this richness and to combine it with good know-how and experience. Through sustainable with good cooperation and investment one will also invest in the bright future of the country.
I firmly believe that in the not-too-distant future, tourism will become one of the leading sectors of the economy in Mongolia.
What do you think Turkish people think about when they choose a travel destination? What are their preferences?
Of course, visa- free travel regime, direct THY [Turkish Airline] flights, low-travel expenses and cultural richness are main motivations in choosing destinations.
Mongolia can be one of the most attractive destinations for the Turks to rediscover their own history. They can visit Mongolia and smell the roots of the first Turkish states. Besides, it would be also interesting for them to get acquainted with the culture, history and natural beauties of Mongolia.
As of April 11, there is a visa-free travel regime between both countries, so both Turkish and Mongolian people can travel to each other's countries without any visa for 30 days.
What is the secret to Turkey's successful tourism sector?
Starting from the mid-80s, the successive Turkish governments invested in tourism in a quite-smart way. Laws were issued, investments were promoted, exemptions were granted, and the private sector was encouraged in this respect. It was not a problem-free process, but in the final analysis plausible policies were deployed.
And tourism has been diversified in Turkey. Today, people can enjoy Turkey's sea, sun, sand, culture, health, religion, and winter sport tourism. It should not just come as an accident that Istanbul became the number-one tourist destination for travelers' choice polls.
Only last year, Turkey attracted USD 33 billion from tourism. Nearly, 35 million tourists visited this beautiful Mediterranean country. There are two Turkish cities in the top 10-destinations – the one Antalya; the other one Istanbul. Let me only remind you that Antalya has a population of two million but hosts yearly 11 million tourists. These are just a couple of figures which can be interesting for Mongolian authorities while focusing on this domain in advancing bilateral cooperation.
We can see a lot of students going to Turkey to study higher education. What are the main majors Mongolian students are studying in Turkey?
I am proud to announce on this occasion as the Turkish ambassador to Mongolia that education constitutes one of the strongest pillars in our relationship. Starting in early 90s, Mongolian students keep coming to Turkey. Currently there are nearly 900 Mongolian students who study in Turkey. 340 of them are getting their scholarships from the government of Turkey.
For the higher education scholarships at the graduate level this year, we received 180 applications. Their interviews were held last week here in Ulaanbaatar. As for undergraduate students, the application will expire mid-May and their interviews will be held in June. This year we wish to increase [enrollment] by 8 percent. Their majors vary from medicine to agriculture, from computer technology to linguistics. Basically, they do study on every field.
Mongolian students who study in Turkey can work later on for Turkish companies here in Mongolia as assistants, project managers, finance directors, economists or translators. I believe in the near future there will be great opportunity for Mongolian citizens to work with Turkish contractors.
Turkish companies are some of the best contractors in the world. Let's talk about possible cooperation in the construction sector?
According to the recent published statistics among the top 235 construction companies in the world, 33 of them are Turkish. Turkish companies come in at number two all over the world, and Turkish entrepreneurs are conducting projects all over the world. They do important construction projects in Russia, throughout Eurasia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, in the Balkans and in Asian countries. So, now they have every reason to prove their capacity here in Mongolia.
I am glad to inform you that some serious Turkish companies have started to enter the Mongolian market. Is it enough? Certainly, not. But, it is just the beginning. I believe, you should expect more from the Turkish entrepreneurs.
Do the Turkish companies have their own standards to do construction? What's the difference between Turkish construction companies and the other construction companies around the world?
I guess in a short period of time Mongolia will get to know how to work with the Turkish construction sector. Their working habits will also change the mentality of how to conduct business in this country. This is the most important difference in my judgment because to fulfil the requirement of an undertaking it needs courage, [and] discipline. It needs hard dedication and hard working.
All these professional skills are there for Turkish companies. I fully rely on them. They are trustworthy companies. Once they enter into the project, they will do the job even before the envisaged time frame. They work hard, sleep less.
The Turkish construction sector is one of the leading sectors in the Turkish economy. Companies with a high reputation know very well how to conduct business. They are highly successful in completing turn-key projects.
Turkey's got a strong growing private sector as well – we can see that most of the large companies belong to banking and telecommunications – so are there any specific areas where Mongolia and Turkey can cooperate in the near future?
The Turkish economy has achieved outstanding performance with its steady growth over the last 10 years. Sound macroeconomic strategies, prudent fiscal and monetary policies, structural reforms that the Turkish government has been pursuing in the last decade resulted in high rates of growth and increased confidence in the Turkish economy. As structural reforms have strengthened the macroeconomic fundamentals of the country, the economy grew with an average annual real GDP growth rate of 5 percent between 2002 and 2013.
A country which cannot produce cannot reach much. So I very much agree with the target that Mongolia has to start producing. But to do so, you need know-how, you need experience and you need good partners. In that respect, Turkey is a very good, tailor-made partner for Mongolia.
I know that mining is the leading sector in Mongolia, but for a sustainable economy you need to diversify it. Therefore agriculture, animal husbandry, food, cashmere, and leather are all important sectors for the Mongolian economy where Turkey can contribute immensely in sharing its experience.
You share a border with Syria, Iran, Iraq and Jordan. What's the foreign policy like for a country with such an interesting geopolitical position?
Turkey is strategically located at the epicenter of Eurasia. It is surrounded by three continents – Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its geo-strategic location belongs with its cultural and historical depth, giving the country its uniqueness. This has been an asset in forging economic partnerships with its neighborhood. Turkish membership in regional organizations such as BSEC, D-8, and ECO are a reflection of the multi-pronged character and regional orientation of Turkish foreign policy in the economic sphere. On the other hand, its membership in G-20 is an indicator for its growing role as a responsible stakeholder in the global economic governance.
Turkey sits in a tough neighborhood surrounded by hotspots but serves as an island of stability.
Of course, day-by-day the soft power of Turkey is growing. Maybe throughout the Cold War we were relying mainly on armed forces and our relationship with allied nations. But, particularly in the last 10 to 15 years, Turkey emerged as a regional power whose actions may create certain global consequences.
Turkey has various assets and capabilities. When it comes to conducting foreign policy, certainly my ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, plays the central role in shaping the policy. However, there are other agencies and institutions which contribute to the successful implementation of that policy.
"TIKA" is one of them, Turkey's cooperation and coordination agency. Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centers are another asset. Turkish Airlines, Turkish companies, TRT [Turkish Radio and Television Corporation], Anatolian Agency and the Turkish movie sector are yet other examples which play a central role in this field.
Economy ranking World's 17th largest,
Europe's 6th largest
Population 76 million
Unemployment 9.7 %
Labor force 28 million
GDP 820 billion USD
GDP growth 4 %
GDP average growth 5.2 % /2002-2012/
GDP per capita 10.782 USD
Inflation 7.40%
Budget deficit 1.1 % of GDP
FDI inflow 12.7 billion USD
FDI outflow 3.2 billion USD
Trade volume/ growth 403.5 billion USD / 3.7 % annual increase
Export 151.8 billion USD
Import 251.6 billion USD
Tourism 39 million visitors
-Revenue 32.3 billion USD
-World ranking 6th largest
Neighbors / 8 countries Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan, Iran, Syria
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Social, Environmental and Other
UNDP Project: Strengthening Local Level Capacities for Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Coordination in Mongolia
What is the project about?
The overall goal of the project is to facilitate decentralized disaster management through sustainable prevention, response and coordination mechanisms, thus reduce vulnerabilities of urban and rural poor. The objective of the project is to enhance disaster management capacities by clarifying roles and responsibilities, formalizing local-level disaster management mechanisms and applying tailored approaches for disaster prevention, preparedness and response in urban and rural settings. At the policy level, the main focus will be on improved coordination and integration of disaster management issues into national and local level development planning.
Expected outcomes:
· Reduced risks and consequences of natural and man-made disasters at national and community levels
· Improved sustainability of natural resources management and resilience of ecosystems and vulnerable populations to the changing climate
Expected outputs:
· National climate and disaster risk management capacities improved in coordination, communication and networking
· Capacities of vulnerable sectors and communities strengthened in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction
Three inter-related program outputs will support the achievement of the objective:
Output 1: Policy and regulatory frameworks enable clearer roles and responsibilities for improved disaster risk reduction and management
Output 2: Local-level disaster management mechanisms have procedures and competencies tailored for urban and rural vulnerabilities
Output 3: Feasible local-level mechanisms for disaster risk reduction and response further replicated
What have we accomplished so far?
Project Output 1: Policy and regulatory frameworks enable clearer roles and responsibilities for improved disaster risk reduction and management.
· The application of the Law on Disaster Protection over the past ten years, and analyses of this application, have revealed gaps in its coordination and other shortcomings. In response and in order to develop national disaster management in line with international best practice, the project conducted a comparative study and analysis of disaster management legal documents and disaster risk management functions of relevant stakeholders. Based on the findings of the study, the drafts of the Reformulated Law on Disaster Protection and Law on Legal Status of Disaster Management Organizations have been drafted and have been submitted to NEMA. Five follow-up discussions for further improvement were organized involving over 300 people from relevant stakeholders.
· In the framework of coordinating disaster management at local level, the model disaster preparedness plan for soum and khoroo level was developed and piloted considering natural and geographical conditions, population distribution, infrastructure as well as current disaster management needs.
· The baseline study on local disaster risk management mechanism and budget allocation for disaster risk reduction activities was conducted at soums and khoroos with the purpose of identifying feasible mechanisms for local disaster risk management and mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into local development program. More than 600 people took part in the studies and discussions organized in 15 project target sites.
· Thirteen Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership Councils have been established next to the Soum and Khoroo Governors' Offices of project sites to further support and encourage herders groups' to engage in disaster risk reduction activities
Project Output 2: Local-level disaster management mechanisms have procedures and competencies tailored for urban and rural vulnerabilities.
· Two consecutive workshops were conducted jointly with Asian Disaster Preparedness Center /ADPC/ on Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction /CBDRR/ in Selenge and Khentii provinces involving 63 people including soum governors, project local coordinators and local disaster management officials from over 40 different soums and bags. Participants obtained a clear understanding of CBDRR building blocks and shared their experiences and challenges in DRR implementation.
· A two phase training course for 75 officers of central and local EMDs responsible for disaster prevention and public awareness and refresher course for senior officers responsible for disaster protection planning and preparedness were held with the aim to improve their capacity, and provide participants with certification to conduct further public awareness raising training.
· The studio "Rescuer" next to the NEMA was established and equipped by the required technics and equipment to broadcast DRR awareness raising programs through TV channels.
· The Public Awareness Program on Disaster Risk Reduction was developed with the aim of increasing knowledge and understanding of general public on DRR, and building a culture of living safer by reducing risks. The program includes the advocacy plan developed taking into account the main international and national disaster protection and prevention awareness days and seasonal hazards and has been praised by experts as an excellent initiative.
· Trainings for disaster response task forces and volunteers were conducted in 2 soums and 2 khoroos involving about 200 people with the aim of providing them with the practical skill and knowledge on their safe involvement to disaster risk reduction and disaster response.
Project Output 3: Feasible local level mechanisms for disaster risk reduction and response further replicated
· The UNDP Mongolia, in close partnership with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and NEMA, identified the Priority Implementation Partnership on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into Local Development Planning Processes in Mongolia and work for strengthening local DRR and CCA /Climate Change Adaptation/ capacities.
· Under this collaboration and in the framework of the project, one-day consultation workshop was conducted involving relevant stakeholders with the following purposes:
o Stocktaking of recent developments on local level DRR and CCA implementation to support HFA /Hyogo Framework of Action/ and MDGs /Millennium Development Goals/
o Determining feasible approach to local level DRR and CCA in Mongolia through development of a National CBDRR Framework
o Integration of local level DRR and CCA outcomes to local development planning.
· In order to develop CBDRR, the study on the possibility of integrating volunteerism into DRR and identifying gender-specific needs for DRR of target areas has been conducted and recommendations were produced based on the study.
Mongolia to Join 88th, 181st Conventions to Become Member of 10 ILO Conventions
Ulaanbaatar, June 1 (MONTSAME) Mongolia is one of the first nations in Asia to join eight fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
At its regular meeting on Saturday, the cabinet discussed and backed a matter to join the ILO 88th convention on employment service (1948) and the ILO 181st convention on private employment agencies (1997). This issue will be consulted with a related parliamentary Standing committee.
If Mongolia joins these conventions, the country will be able to expand its international cooperation and to augment technical assistance from international organizations for upgrading the employment structure and system and empowering human resources.
In addition, Mongolia can protect labour and social interests of both consumers and mediators and prevent illicit employment thanks to having a general legal regulation and registration over private employment services.
Mongolia Launches Nationwide Hotline for Children's Rights
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) Mongolia's first ever nationwide, toll free and 24/7 Child Helpline 108's launching ceremony was held on May 31.
Child helpline 108 is an initiative by National Authority for Children, World Vision Mongolia and Mobicom Corporation, which hopes to reduce child abuse cases and strengthen the child protection system in Mongolia.
It intends to provide children with all kinds of information, advices and assistance.
Elbegdorj Attends Opening of Mongolia's First Space Center on Children's Day
Ulaanbaatar, June 1 (MONTSAME) The President Ts.Elbegdorj Sunday attended an opening ceremony of the first Space Center of Mongolia on the International Children's Day.
A decision on founding the Center of Space Sciences and Planetary was made by the government in 2009, and it has been built with a financing from the government. A Japanese scholar Sakai Yoshihito has presented to the new center "Minolta MS-8" apparatus as well.
In the space center, the President got au fait with the "Space" chamber, "Sun and Moon" movie room, and the "Stars" chamber, and saw exhibits and photos about origins of the sun, moon, planets and stars. The center also displays the "Soyuz-39" spacecraft's landing capsule, which was used by J.Gurragchaa, first astronaut of Mongolia, and his space facilities and suits.
The President presented gifts to children at the center, and left his signature on the Notebook of Honored Guests.
He was guided by J.Gurragchaa, a former astronaut and Hero of Mongolia and Soviet Union; V.A. Dzhanibekov, Hero of Mongolia and Soviet Union; and M.Ganzorig, a backup cosmonaut.
Mogi: Glorious Mother, lol
Orders of Glorious Mother Awarded to 21 Mothers on Children's Day
Ulaanbaatar, June 1 (MONTSAME) On the International Children's Day celebrated Sunday, the 1st and 2nd class Orders of Glorious Mother was awarded to 21 mothers.
Pursuant to a decree of the President, the 1st class Order was awarded to P.Buyandelger, a citizen from the city's Sukhbaatar district; J.Khandtsoo--from the city's Songinokhairkhan district; M.Kaukar--from Nalaikh district; Ts.Lojidmaa--from Songinokhairkhan district; and Ts.Sambuu--from Khan-Uul district. The 2nd class Order went to 16 mothers.
The President Elbegdorj congratulated the mothers on the International Children's Day and on receiving the Orders. He wished them all the best and happiness.
Peacekeepers Awarded State Prizes
Ulaanbaatar, June 1 (MONTSAME) On occasion of the International Day of Peacekeepers, the state prizes have been awarded to Mongolian military officers and servicemen who served in international peacekeeping operations.
A prize granting ceremony took place Saturday on the city's Central Square, and the state prizes were granted by P.Tsagaan, chief of the Presidential Office; and authorities of the Defense Ministry and the General Headquarters of Mongolian Armed Forces (GHMAF).
By the President's decree, the Order of Military Merit was awarded to A.Baljinnyam, an expert at the GHMAF on operational management and planning section.
The Military Medal of Honor was awarded to M.Erdene-Ochir, an officer at the #330 military unit; E.Sereeter, an officer at the #120 military unit; E.Ganzorig, a section head at the #150 unit; P.Enkhzaya, a technician at the #337 unit; D.Tsog-Erdene, a senior expert at the Armed Forces; and J.Tsogtdorj, an officer at the #303 unit.
The Medal for Peace went to B.Undrakh, an officer at the Central Intelligence Agency; B.Batnyam, a military control expert at the Armed Forces; and B.Gantulga, an officer at the #186 unit.
Event Held to Prevent Second-Hand Smoking
Ulaanbaatar, June 2 (MONTSAME) A day event named 'Prevention of children's passive smoking' was held in the National Park last Sunday, in celebration of 'World No Tobacco Day' (May 31).
Organizers of the events were the Health Ministry, the Municipal Health Agency, the World Health Organization, the Municipal Education Agency and City Health Center. During the event, the organizers introduced health risks of passive or second-hand smoking on children, and called for prevention of second-hand smoking.
Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke, called second-hand smoke (SHS), or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), by persons other than the intended "active" smoker. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment. Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke causes disease, disability, and death.
The health risks of second-hand smoke are a matter of scientific consensus. These risks have been a major motivation for smoke-free laws in workplaces and indoor public places, including restaurants, bars and night clubs, as well as some open public spaces.
S.Tgogbadrakh sets new world record at Open Memory Championship in Manila
June 2 (news.mn) Mongolian mental sports athletes successfully participated in the Philippines International Open Memory Championship that was held in Manila, the Philippines, between May 31st and June 1st.
Asia's 68 best memory athletes from Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Korea competed in 10 different classes of different ages.
Mongolian memory athletes S.Tsogbadrakh, T.Enkhjin and E.Enkhmunkh participated along with their coach B.Baasandorj and international jury Kh.Khatanbaatar in the Philippines International Open Memory Championship.
Mongolian memory athlete E.Enkhmunkh gained two gold, five silver and two bronze medals; T.Enkhjin took three gold, one silver and three bronze medals; and Grandmaster of memory (GMM) S.Tsogbadrakh won three gold medals and one bronze medal.
The Mongolian team was placed in second with a grand total of 19 gold medals.
GMM S.Tsogbadrakh set a new world record by counting 1408 digits in the 30 minute "Digit marathon" class.
Lonely Planet Mongolia Travel Guide 7th Edition Now Available on Pre-Sale
Expected in-stock: July 1 - shipped within 48 hours of arrival. Please note that when on pre-order this title is not eligible for any discounts, bundle deals or Free Shipping offers. The current print edition of the Mongolia 6 travel guide is still available to order.
With vast scenery, a hospitable nomadic culture, the spectacular Naadam festival and the legacy of Chinggis Khaan, rough-and-ready Mongolia remains one of the world's last great adventure destinations.
Lonely Planet will get you to the heart of Mongolia, with amazing travel experiences and the best planning advice:
· Inspirational images, highlights and recommendations from our expert authors
· Planning features and top itineraries to help you plan the perfect trip
· Local secrets and hidden travel gems that will make your trip unique
· PLUS organised-tour advice, a guide to taking a road trip, info on the Trans-Mongolian Railway, and Wild Lands & Wildlife feature
Coverage includes: Planning chapters, Ulaanbaatar, Central Mongolia, Central Mongolia, Eastern Mongolia, Western Mongolia, The Gobi, Understand and Survival chapters.
Book details
ISBN: 9781742202990
Authors: Michael Kohn, Anna Kaminsky, Daniel McCrohan
304 pages, 32 pp colour, 44 maps | Dimensions: 128mm x 197mm
Next edition due: Jul 2018
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Email: info@covermongolia.mn
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