Please click Display Images or Download Pictures to properly view this newswire
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Follow the news on Facebook, Twitter and view newswire archive here
Jump to: Overseas Market - Local Market – Economy – Politics & Legal – Business – Ulaanbaatar – Diplomacy – Health, Education - Society – Nature, Environment - Sports - Art, Entertainment – Travel
Headlines in Italic are ones modified by Cover Mongolia from original
TRQ closed +4.73% Monday to US$2.77, +11.67% in 1 week,
Oyu Tolgoi Seeks $4.2B Financing Within Wks, Says Board Member
By Michael Kohn
October 5 (Bloomberg) -- Oyu Tolgoi "is working hard" to sign a $4.2 billion project finance package with 19 banks "in the coming weeks," Byambasaikhan Bayanjargal, Oyu Tolgoi LLC board member, says in e-mail.
* Underground mine development "has been relaunched:" Byambasaikhan
* Mongolia's government has given all necessary approvals to date: Byambasaikhan
* NOTE: Oyu Tolgoi copper mine is 66% owned by Turquoise Hill Resources and 34% by the government of Mongolia.
* NOTE: Oyu Tolgoi Underground Mine Set to Restart in Mid-2016
(BFW)
ERD closed +25% Monday to C$0.15 on the announcement
Erdene Discovers Bonanza Grade Gold in Southwest Mongolia
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - Oct. 5, 2015) - Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD) ("Erdene" or "Company") is pleased to announce a significant discovery of a high-grade gold prospect, Bayan Khundii (Rich Valley), on its 100%-owned Khundii exploration license in southwest Mongolia, located 15 km south of the Company's Altan Nar gold project.
Highlights
· Multiple high-grade rock chip samples (4 to 4,380 g/t gold) collected from multiple mineralized zones over a 1.4 km area
· Visible gold observed in numerous locations with no significant sulfide material present
· Trenching confirmed lower-grade gold mineralization (0.1 g/t to 1.0 g/t Au) in host rocks, over significant widths (up to 30 m), hosting the significantly higher grade vein material
· Trenching identified four separate zones, 10 to 30 m wide, averaging 2.3 to 2.9 g/t gold over a 300 m strike area
· Trenching returned values up to 55 g/t gold over 1 m
"We are very excited by our new discovery in this emerging gold district in southwest Mongolia. What sets this discovery apart from our other projects in the area is the bonanza gold grades, the multiple broad mineralized zones, and the free-gold, low sulphide nature of the mineralization, all of which enhance the potential economics of the project," said Peter Akerley, President and CEO of Erdene. "We are now developing plans for accelerated exploration of this exciting new discovery as part of our southwest Mongolia gold development program led by our Altan Nar gold-polymetallic project."
Bayan Khundii Exploration Program
In Q2 2015, Erdene geologists conducted a follow-up exploration program on the southern portion of the Khundii license leading to the discovery of the Bayan Khundii (Rich Valley) prospect, located approximately 3.5 km south of the Company's Altan Arrow gold prospect. During Q3 2015, an exploration program was completed at Bayan Khundii consisting of rock chip/grab sampling, trenching and geological mapping. Two separate mineralized zones were identified; the Main Zone and Northeast Zone.
…
SGQ closed -17.74% Monday to C$0.255, 1878 trading +6.3% Tuesday morning
SouthGobi Resources Announces Update to TSX Delisting Review and Financing Initiatives
HONG KONG, CHINA--(Marketwired - Oct. 5, 2015) - SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX:SGQ)(HKSE:1878) (the "Company" or "SouthGobi") today announces confirmation of the extension to the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") delisting review until October 28, 2015.
As announced by the Company on August 30, 2015, a meeting of the Continued Listing Committee of TSX (the "Committee") was scheduled on September 28, 2015 (the "Meeting") and their decision was expected no later than September 30, 2015.
At the Meeting, the Company provided the Committee with a number of current financing initiatives that it is currently pursuing (and described in details below) and, on the basis of allowing the Company the ability to execute on such initiatives, the Committee confirmed that it is extending the date of its decision regarding the Company's listing status and whether the Company has met the listing requirements of the TSX until October 28, 2015.
Financing Initiatives
Short-term Bridge Loan - the Company is in the process of finalizing a US$10 million bridge loan agreement with an Asian based private equity fund. The loan will be funded in two approximately equal tranches, with the first tranche expected to close by mid-October 2015 and the second tranche to close by the end of October 2015. The first tranche and second tranche will be repayable nine months after funding and six months after funding respectively.
Sales and Offtake Agreements - the Company is currently in the process of negotiating sales contracts for the fourth quarter of 2015. The Company expects sales will ramp up in the fourth quarter to meet the high seasonal demand of coal in the winter season in China.
Turquoise Hill Payment Deferral - the Company is currently in discussions with Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. to further postpone the repayment of its shareholder loan and other payables, of which loan principal of US$1.9 million and interest accrued up to October 9, 2015 is due on October 9, 2015 and a further loan principal of US$1.9 million and interest accrued up to November 30, 2015 is due on November 30, 2015.
276 closed -1.7% Monday to HK$0.227
MEC Completes Issues of 14,449,760 Shares at HK$0.25
October 5, Mongolia Energy Corp. Ltd. (HKEx:276) -- Reference is made to the announcement of Mongolia Energy Corporation Limited (the ''Company'') dated 15 September 2015 (the ''Announcement'') in relation to the Subscriptions. Unless otherwise defined, capitalised terms used herein shall have the same meanings as those defined in the Announcement.
COMPLETION OF ISSUE OF SHARES UNDER GENERAL MANDATE
The Board is pleased to announce that all the conditions of the Subscription have been fulfilled and completion of the Subscription took place on 5 October 2015 in accordance with the terms of the Subscription Agreement. A total of 14,449,760 fully paid Subscription Shares, representing approximately 0.83% of the issued share capital of the Company as at the date of this announcement immediately after the Completion, were allotted and issued by the Company to the nominee of the Subscriber at the Subscription Price of HK$0.25 per Subscription Share.
EFFECTS ON SHAREHOLDING STRUCTURE OF THE COMPANY
So far as the Directors are aware, set out below are changes to the shareholding structure of the Company as a result of the Completion.
Immediately before completion of the Subscriptions | Immediately after completion of the Subscription | |||
Names of Shareholders | No. of Shares | Approx. % | No. of Shares | Approx.% |
Golden Infinity Co., Ltd. ("Golden Infinity") and its associates (Note 1) | 303,197,075 | 17.53 | 303,197,075 | 17.38 |
Other directors of the Group (Note 2) | 1,820,800 | 0.10 | 1,820,800 | 0.10 |
Subscriber | - | - | 14,449,760 | 0.83 |
Other public Shareholders | 1,424,822,442 | 82.37 | 1,424,822,442 | 81.69 |
Total | 1,729,840,317 | 100.00 | 1,744,290,077 | 100.00 |
Notes:
1. Among the 303,197,075 Shares, 1,240,000 Shares represent interest of Mr. Lo Lin Shing, Simon ("Mr. Lo") on an individual basis; while 301,519,575 Shares represent interest of Golden Infinity. The balance of 437,500 Shares represents interest of Ms. Ku Ming Mei, Rouisa, the spouse of Mr. Lo.
2. Other directors of the Group include Ms. Yvette Ong, Mr. To Hin Tsun, Gerald, Mr. Tsui Hing Chuen, William JP, Mr. Lau Wai Piu and Mr. Tang Chi Kei.
Mogi: Denison has uranium interests in Mongolia it's trying to get rid of
Voting in Favour of Denison/Fission Merger Recommended by Leading Independent Proxy Advisory Firms
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct. 5, 2015) - Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison") (TSX:DML)(NYSE MKT:DNN) is pleased to announce that two of the leading independent proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS") and Glass, Lewis & Co. LLC ("Glass Lewis"), have recommended that shareholders of both Denison and Fission Uranium Corp. ("Fission") (TSX:FCU)(OTCQX:FCUUF)(FRANKFURT:2FU) vote FOR the plan of arrangement to combine the two companies at their respective special meetings of shareholders to be held on October 14, 2015.
In their respective reports, ISS and Glass Lewis cited the fairness of the transaction and the strategic rationale behind the combination, including the premium implied by the offer to Fission shareholders and the potential for the combined company to attract more investor interest on a larger scale in a bear market.
ISS is the leading provider of corporate governance solutions to the global financial community, covering approximately 38,000 companies in 115 countries, delivering proxy research and vote recommendations on nearly 28,000 companies each year and working closely with clients to execute more than 8.5 million ballots representing four trillion shares.
Glass, Lewis & Co. is a leading independent governance analysis and proxy voting firm with a global client base of 1,200+ clients that collectively manage more than $20 trillion in assets.
Attention Denison Shareholders
…
MSE Trading Report: Top 20 -0.36%, Turnover ₮85.3 Million Stocks
October 5 (MSE) --
Mogi: now that they can't make money exporting…?
Tavantolgoi JSC raises retail coal prices in Umnugobi
October 5 (infomongolia.com) Three coal selling centers of local Tavantolgoi JSC (not be confused with Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi) are opened in Umnugovi aimag.
This year, Tavantolgoi JSC sells its coal by 27,500 MNT (Tugrug) per a ton at coal selling centers and 16,500 MNT per a ton at the mine.
In 2014, the price at coal selling centers was 16,000 MNT per a ton and 8,000 MNT per a ton at the mine. Tavantolgoi JSC has raised its coal price by 8,500-11,500 MN this year.
Historic low is ₮1,997.26/USD set September 11
BoM MNT Rates: Monday, October 5 Close
| | 10/5 | 10/2 | 10/1 | 9/30 | 9/29 | 9/28 | 9/25 | 9/24 | 9/23 | 9/22 | 9/21 | 9/18 | 9/17 | 9/16 | 9/15 |
| USD | 1,996.34 | 1,996.69 | 1,996.27 | 1,996.83 | 1,996.99 | 1,993.89 | 1,996.76 | 1,996.27 | 1,995.28 | 1,995.17 | 1,993.66 | 1,993.59 | 1,992.50 | 1,990.09 | 1,986.49 |
| EUR | 2,245.68 | 2,229.90 | 2,242.44 | 2,242.44 | 2,244.22 | 2,231.26 | 2,229.48 | 2,236.32 | 2,221.35 | 2,229.50 | 2,252.14 | 2,272.09 | 2,252.52 | 2,243.63 | 2,242.15 |
| CNY | 314.09 | 314.14 | 314.07 | 314.16 | 313.81 | 313.02 | 313.16 | 312.86 | 312.54 | 313.00 | 313.03 | 313.36 | 312.95 | 312.41 | 311.89 |
| GBP | 3,041.82 | 3,024.09 | 3,021.16 | 3,026.00 | 3,032.63 | 3,032.31 | 3,042.96 | 3,048.00 | 3,063.15 | 3,091.32 | 3,098.45 | 3,104.82 | 3,090.17 | 3,051.90 | 3,060.68 |
| RUB | 30.40 | 30.28 | 30.70 | 30.41 | 30.17 | 30.37 | 30.32 | 30.05 | 30.07 | 30.17 | 30.00 | 30.19 | 30.60 | 30.06 | 29.46 |
Bank rates at time of sending: TDB (Buy ₮1,991 Sell ₮1,998), Khan (Buy ₮1,990 Sell ₮1,998), Golomt (Buy ₮1,991 Sell ₮1,998), XacBank (Buy ₮1,992 Sell ₮1,999), State Bank (Buy ₮1,991 Sell ₮1,999)
MNT vs USD (blue), CNY (red) in last 1 year:
Gross FX Reserves Up 1.26% in August, +4.77% YTD, +27.05% YoY to US$1.73 Billion
Date | Gross Reserves | Monthly, % | YTD, % | YOY, % |
2015/08 | 1728.7 | 1.26 | 4.77 | 27.05 |
2015/07 | 1707.2 | 1.28 | 3.47 | 26.52 |
2015/06 | 1685.6 | 5.95 | 2.16 | 27.94 |
2015/05 | 1591.0 | 25.55 | -3.57 | -0.84 |
2015/04 | 1267.3 | -4.28 | -23.19 | -30.44 |
2015/03 | 1323.9 | -2.83 | -19.76 | -31.87 |
2015/02 | 1362.5 | 2.61 | -17.42 | -37.94 |
2015/01 | 1327.8 | -19.53 | -19.53 | -45.72 |
2014/12 | 1649.9 | 22.03 | -26.60 | -26.60 |
2014/11 | 1352.1 | -3.29 | -39.85 | -41.46 |
2014/10 | 1398.1 | -9.37 | -37.81 | -41.48 |
2014/09 | 1542.7 | 13.38 | -31.37 | -42.43 |
2014/08 | 1360.7 | 0.8 | -39.5 | -50.1 |
BoM issues ₮129 billion 1-week bills at 13%, total outstanding -34.1% to ₮321.4 billion
October 5 (BoM) BoM issues 1 week bills worth MNT 129 billion at a weighted interest rate of 13.0 percent per annum /For previous auctions click here/
Meat prices lowest in several years
October 5 (gogo.mn) As of last week of September, 2015, average price for 1 kg beef is at MNT 5200 while beef with bones is at MNT 6745.
Prices for beef with bones were dropped by 3.8% or MNT 265 compared with the previous week while prices for beef without bones were stable.
Beef is priced the lowest at "Huchit Shonhor" and "Harhorin" markets at MNT 6500 while beef priced highest at "Mercuri" market at MNT 9500.
Table 1. An average prices for 1 kg beef during 2013-2015
Beef | ||||||||||||
| I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII |
2013 | 7335 | 8025 | 7895 | 8330 | 8380 | 8275 | 8225 | 7710 | 7825 | 7245 | 7115 | 7280 |
2014 | 7980 | 7775 | 8425 | 8370 | 8685 | 8730 | 7955 | 7590 | 7635 | 7550 | 7495 | 7465 |
2015 | 7415 | 7565 | 7810 | 8080 | 8145 | 8445 | 7985 | 7230 | 6745* | | | |
Mutton | ||||||||||||
| I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII |
2013 | 6480 | 7095 | 7060 | 7420 | 7490 | 7470 | 7415 | 6710 | 6540 | 6215 | 6085 | 6245 |
2014 | 6855 | 6675 | 7040 | 7630 | 7800 | 7685 | 7030 | 6585 | 6395 | 5965 | 5835 | 5940 |
2015 | 5860 | 6140 | 6735 | 7460 | 7555 | 7455 | 6830 | 6050 | 5200* | | | |
* As the observation of fifth week
Prices for mutton with bones were decreased by 5.2% or MNT 285 and prices for mutton without bones were dropped by 1.8% or MNT 115 compared with the previous week.
As the observation of this week, mutton priced the lowest at "Harhoron" markets at MNT 4800 while mutton priced highest at "Mercuri" market at MNT 8000.
Prices for flour
Packaged "Altantaria", 1 kg high-quality flour, at the biggest markets and supermarkets priced at MNT 1200-1500, prices for first grade flour is at MNT 1000-1300 and prices for second grade flour is at MNT 780-1100.
"Atar" bread priced at MNT 1019-1200 at markets and supermarkets. "Atar" bread priced the lowest at "Nomin" supermarkets at MNT 1019 while "Atar" bread priced the highest at "Bayanzurh", "Huchit Shonhor" and "Bars" markets at MNT 1200.
Prices for vegetables
Prices for potato were decreased by 1.0% or MNT 10, prices for carrot were increased by 6.7% or MNT 100, cabbage were increased by 7.2% or MNT 90 and prices for turnip were risen by 5.0% or MNT 85 compared with the previous week.
MPP Chairmen of Standing Committees to Be Replaced This Week
October 5 (gogo.mn) Several internal positions in the parliament are expected to be replaced this week.
Particularly, few chairmen of standing committees will be dismissed; J.Enkhbayar as chairman of Security and Foreign Policy standing committee, Su.Batbold as chairman of Environment, Food and Agriculture standing committee, J.Batsuuri as chairman of Economy standing committee and B.Bolor as State Budget standing committee.
B.Bolor will be released because he was appointed as Minister of Finance. Other three will be released because of their membership of Mongolian People's Party which had quit the government cabinet.
However, candidates for those positions have not been named currently. Today, new candidates will be selected at the meeting of party groups in the parliament.
World Bank pledges support to Labor Ministry projects
Ulaanbaatar, October 5 (MONTSAME) Country-director of the World Bank (WB) for Mongolia Mr James Anderson visited the Ministry of Labor on Friday, heading an extended delegation with the WB branch director for East Asia and Pacific Social Security and Labor, analysts, economists and social security specialists.
The delegates congratulated the new Minister G.Bayarsaikhan on his appointment and exchanged with him opinions on the Ministry's projects, implemented in collaboration with WB. G.Bayarsaikhan appreciated the results of the joint projects. However, he said, Mongolia's economic difficulties, caused by the metal prices decline on the global market, have resulted in a shortage of workplaces. Therefore, the Ministry wants to expand the collaboration with WB in certain areas, such as projects for unemployed young people and women heads of households.
The Ministry also needs a support, in regard to the renovations in labor regulations, on improving legal environment and promoting law implementations, he said.
The delegation gave G.Bayarsaikhan one of the first copies of the research book on "Social Welfare System in Mongolia" by World Bank.
Mongol TV Brings Got Talent to Mongolia, Announces Annual TV Forum in February
Population: 3,000,000
Number of television channels: Approximately 150
October 5 (Realscreen) Almost a year after Simon Cowell cast his MIPCOM 2014 wish for a Got Talent competition in Mongolia, the producer's dream was realized in September when broadcaster Mongol TV launched its own version of the talent show.
Helmed by CEO Nomin Chinbat, Mongol TV has set itself apart in the country's saturated TV market as a leader that plays by the rules and rejects the piracy rampant among Mongolia's myriad TV networks. Despite a population of three million, 150 active channels compete to show the newest and best programming, but because this content is usually too expensive to license from Western countries, films and TV shows are often pirated.
Further, many stations are owned by aspiring or serving politicians who use their channels as platforms during election periods but fail to invest in them the rest of the time. Combined with a lack of advertising revenue for all the networks, the climate cultivates an unequal playing ground, even forcing channels looking to be legitimate operations into piracy, in order to keep up.
Since taking the reins as CEO of Mongol TV in 2011, Chinbat has been on a mission to legally acquire all content on the station and boost local production. The exec's first step was reaching out to Michel Rodrigue, CEO of consultancy group The Format People, who, upon assessing the market and Mongol TV's competitors, ultimately advised Chinbat to ramp up live programming, introduce a morning show and produce less biased news. Together, the team built two TV studios.
"We made sure that we applied Western TV knowledge to technology and the aspects of TV production and broadcast scheduling in general, so the strategy was mainly to use top American programs – dramas – to put in primetime and build up the local content around that," said Rodrigue, adding that he brought in 27 international TV specialists to revamp Mongol TV.
Outside of acquiring dramas such as AMC's Breaking Bad, the broadcaster has focused local production on factual entertainment, specifically formats. A multi-season deal for Got Talent was inked with producers Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia last December – the most expensive production in the history of Mongolia, says Chinbat – and in January Mongol TV commissioned a local version of the Channel 4 hit Gogglebox, slated to air in December.
"Everyone, from the broadcasters to the viewers, is eager about the content," says Chinbat, discussing Got Talent. "There's a lot of curiosity out there, and people want to know who the judges are, so buzz is really high. As a small station, we're joking that we're becoming a Mongolia's Got Talent production rather than a TV station because everybody's doing something [on the show]."
Going forward, Chinbat hopes the Mongol TV Forum – an industry-wide event she helped to launch in 2014 – will draw international interest to the territory and unite local broadcasters and cable channels. The recent two-day iteration in February garnered 200 industry executives, including five U.S. studios and UK broadcaster ITV, and featured keynotes by government officials and regulatory body representatives as well as panels on global trends and the future for Mongolian television.
Mongol TV announced today (October 5) at MIPCOM that the third annual Mongol TV Forum – coproduced with The Format People – is to be held on February 25 and 26, 2016. The theme for the event is "How will Mongolian broadcasters step up to western standards and anticipate exporting content?"
Though finances continue to be a difficulty for Mongol TV given the country is still in a recession period, Chinbat says her immediate goal is to boost local production.
"Through these kinds of large productions and live content, I'd like the viewers to see what TV and entertainment can bring them," says Chinbat. "At the moment, we see a lot of political news and issues on our TV, but it could be entertainment and it could be produced in Mongolia."
Schneider Electric Korea's head to oversee Mongolia
October 5 (The Korea Herald) Schneider Electric Korea said Monday that its CEO Kim Kyung-rog has been given the additional responsibility of overseeing Mongolian operations of the company.
Kim's expanded duty will enable Schneider Electric to support Korean firms' operations in Mongolia in energy development as well as power plants, railways, buildings and other social infrastructure projects. The France-based company established its Mongolian branch in 2013, focusing on the information technology service as well as energy infrastructure.
"Since advancing into the Korean market in 1975, Schneider Electric has partnered with local companies for their global expansion in settling electricity infrastructure and automation. We will continue our endeavors in supporting Korean companies expanding to Mongolia," Kim stated.
Kim started his career at Schneider Electric in 2000 as a sales engineer. Before that, he worked for ABB.
Made in Germany: German-Mongolian Corporate Days 2015, October 13-14, Ulaanbaatar
October 5 (gogo.mn) For the fifth time, this year's German-Mongolian-Corporate Days 2015 – Made in Germany will take place from October 13 – 14, 2015 at Shangri-La Hotel.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
- Two-day exhibition and conference
- Opening Ceremony on October 13 with numerous Guests from Business and Politics
- Networking Event and Professional Exchange with high-ranking politicians and global players in business
- Company's Presentations
- Talks and Workshops
- Panel Discussions and Master Classes
Top three of exhibition:
1. Around 50 exhibitors from Germany and Mongolia
2. Companies from various business and trend-setting branches
3. Latest technologies and leading know-how from Germany
Top three of conference:
1. Master Class: Self-Management - The Loehn Method: How to get ahead with your projects by Prof. Loehn
2. Best Practise: How a SAP ERP implementation is changing your business for the future by Dr. Hartung
3. Master Class: The key to effective performance management: The house of controlling by Prof. Horvath
The event is jointly organized by the Integrated Mineral Resource Initiative (IMRI) of GIZ and the German-Mongolian Business Association (DMUV).
Participation in the conference is free. Booths will be available for a fee.
Visit our website: Find the preliminary conference program and the latest information about the Corporate Days 2015 at www.germoncorporatedays.com
If you need detailed information, please contact at contact@germoncorporatedays.com
Related:
"Made in Germany" fair and meeting to be organized – Montsame, October 5
M4 earthquake occurs on Saturday in UB
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (gogo.mn) - On October 3rd, earthquake with magnitude of 4 was occurred in UB city at 05:30PM, reported by the National Emergency Management Agency.
Specifically, earthquake was registered at an area which is 7 km N away from "Gunjiin Sum" and 70 km away from UB city. The depth of an earthquake was 2 km, reported by the Astronomy and GeoPhysics Research Center. There were no damages registered as a result of the earthquake.
Speaker receives assistant deputy foreign minister of Canada
Ulaanbaatar, October 5 (MONTSAME) The Chairman of the State Great Khural (parliament) Z.Enkhbold received a delegation headed by Canada's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Susan Gregson, a chair of the Mongolia-Canada Roundtable meeting, on October 5.
Canada is our "Third neighbor" and a strategic partner, Mr Enkhbold said and emphasized that it is important to discuss, during the ongoing roundtable meeting, the bilateral cooperation in politics, economy, trade and investment and to touch upon matters on extending the collaboration in defense, education, agriculture, health services and environment protection.
"This is a time for our two countries to focus on cooperation in non-extractive industries", he stressed.
Ms Gregson thanked the Speaker for his time and congratulated him on the 25th anniversary of establishment of the permanent democratic parliament. She said Canada is willing to share its practices in financial sector, one of the most developed sectors in Canada.
Present at the meeting were G.Uyanga MP, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to Canada R.Altangerel and other officials.
Speaker receives French Ambassador Yves Delaunay on end of his term
Ulaanbaatar, October 5 (MONTSAME) The Chairman of the State Great Khural (parliament) Z.Enkhbold Monday received Mr Yves Delaunay, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Mongolia, in connection with his completing diplomatic mission here.
Mentioning about the 50th anniversary of the Mongolia-France diplomatic relations celebrated this year, the Speaker said that several high-level visits and meetings of the intergovernmental working groups took place in the office term of Mr Delaunay. He thanked France for sending its members of the parliamentary chambers to the Autumn Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly which run last month in Ulaanbaatar.
The Ambassador said he had worked here for about four years after one-year works in Mongolia 32 years ago. He emphasized that his country attaches a great importance to the relations with Mongolia and said the French government plans to prepare specialists in the economy, culture, energy and agricultural spheres through a specific policy to expand the cooperation with Mongolia.
The Ambassador went on that he is very confident about a balanced development of the Mongolian economy, and pointed out France's readiness to collaborate and to share its experience with Mongolia in tourism, agriculture and mining.
During the meeting, Ts.Oyungerel MP thanked the Ambassador for focusing a big attention to expanding of the cooperation in the culture and art spheres.
The sides also discussed the bilateral relations and cooperation.
Present at the meeting were Mr D.Gankhuyag, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and other officials.
Foreign Minister Purevsuren L. meets Cuban counterpart in NY
October 5 (MFA Mongolia) On 1 October 2015, H.E. Mr.Purevsuren, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia met with H.E.Mr. Bruno Rodriguez Parilla, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, in New York, on the margins of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
During the meeting, the two sides shared views on the long-time friendly relationships between the two countries and exchanged information on the re-opening processes of the US-Cuba relations.
Both sides unanimously underlined the importance of expanding the bilateral relations in the new and open époque for Cuba in spite of the huge geographical distance and agreed to explore further opportunities for cooperation.
Related: Foreign Minister of Mongolia's US Visit – GoGo Mongolia, October 5
Kyrgyzstan to Introduce Mongolian Experience in Electronic Voting System
October 5 (MFA Mongolia) H.E. Mr. Purevsuren Lundeg, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, met with H.E. Erlan Abdyldaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, on 1 October during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The two Foreign Ministers emphasized that the high level bilateral visits were significantly important in strengthening close cooperation between the two countries and exchanged views on issues of expanding further relations and cooperation at the bilateral, regional and international levels.
Mr. Abdyldaev informed that Kyrgyzstan would introduce the Mongolian experience of the automated system at the upcoming Parliamentary election to be held on 4 October. He also briefed on the preparation of the election.
Having informed that Mongolia would chair the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in the year of 2016, Mr. L.Purevsuren proposed Kyrgyzstan to join the organization and cooperate within the framework of this organization.
Mongolia, Lithuania look to play bridges for trade
Ulaanbaatar, October 5 (MONTSAME) Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia L.Purevsuren met with the Lithuanian FM Linas Antanas Linkevicius at the UN Headquarters in New York October 1. They agreed that the bilateral cooperation should be extended to business and market fields, particularly through serving as bridges for each other's export goods to the nearby markets.
They also stressed that Lithuania can give Mongolian agricultural products an access to the European market, while Mongolia can act as Lithuania's transit to Chinese market.
After this the two shared ideas on recommencing the regular meetings between the two Ministries.
L.Purevsuren asked for Lithuania's support on the adoption of the UN resolution on the permanent neutrality of Mongolia, and its candidacy to the election of the UN Human Rights Council that is to run this October.
Mr Linkevicius said his country supports Mongolia's seeking the membership in the UN Human Rights Council election and added that Mongolia's support is needed in Lithuania's candidacy to the Committee of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Present at the meeting were permanent representative and ambassador of Mongolia to the UN O.Sukhbold, ambassador-at-large O.Enkhtsetseg, and Lithuania's acting representative to the UN N.Jakubone and a director in charge of Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania R.Kacinskas.
Mongolia Set to Present Project Proposals for MCC 2nd Compact
Ulaanbaatar, October 5 (MONTSAME) FM L.Purevsuren, who was attending the UN General Assembly Session in New York, received the vice president of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Kamran Khan on October 1. The sides unanimously stated that the projects and programs included in MCC Second Compact of Mongolia are supposed to result in long-term efficiency in Mongolia's social and economic development.
Specifically, "it is important to sophisticate Ulaanbaatar's urban planning to promote comprehensive development of the ger (national dwelling) areas, with a help of the world's best urban planning models", said K.Khan.
Mongolia is soon to present the proposals on the projects to implement within MCC Compact. Just a fortnight ago, a MCC delegation visited Mongolia to analyze a preparation for the project selection.
New US Ambassador presents credentials to Mongolia president
October 5 (president.mn) On October 4, 2015, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Mongolia Ms. Jennifer Zimdahl Galt has presented her Letter of Credence to the President of Mongolia Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj. Following the ceremony, President Elbegdorj congratulated and welcomed the newly appointed Ambassador.
Ambassador Jennifer Zimdahl Galt said that she is truly grateful to hand the credentials on such a nice day with a wonderful weather and noted that nice weather is a good sign of successful beginning.
President Elbegdorj recalled his recent visit to New York, his participation in the General Debate of the 70th UN General Assembly and high-level events of the summit. The President said that on the sidelines of the summit, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia L.Purevsuren attended a consultative high-level meeting of the UN and met with the officials of the Second Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact. Ambassador highly valued the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia to the United States of America last summer and his meeting with the Secretary of State of the US John Kerry.
Ambassador Jennifer Zimdahl Galt noted that Mongolia is successfully developing the democracy, friendly relations and cooperation with the US in politics, economy, humanitarian, defense and other sectors, and expressed hope that the mutual relationship will further deepen. President Elbegdorj mentioned that many things have changed since the democratic movement and adoption of the new democratic Constitution in Mongolia in 1990s, and during this period of time the bilateral relations between the two states have been broadening in many areas. For instance, the President highlighted the annual "Khaan Quest" multinational peacekeeping exercise which is jointly organized by the two countries.
Related: Ambassador Galt Presents Credential Letters to President Elbegdorj – U.S. Embassy, October 5
American Dance Envoys Tour Mongolia
(U.S. Embassy) From September 21 to 25, contemporary dance company Northwest Dance Project (NWDP) completed its first-ever tour in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In partnership with the Arts Council of Mongolia (ACM) and with funding from the U.S. State Department's Arts Envoy Program and local supporting organizations, the Embassy co-organized a tour that included performance and workshops. The Arts Envoy Program is a selective program that aims to "share the best of the U.S. community with the world to foster cross-cultural understanding and collaboration."
NWDP opened their tour by conducting workshops and master classes for Mongolian dancers from the State Opera and Ballet Theatre, as well as over 100 young dancers from local dance troupes. Visiting NWDP lighting and staging professionals led trainings focused on stage lighting design and stage management for more than 50 professional engineers/designers. The visiting company from NWDP included 8 dancers and 3 production crew members, as well as artistic director Sarah Slipper.
On September 25, NWDP delivered its feature performance, "American Contemporary Dance Night," at the Mongolian State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet. The performance highlighted works from emerging choreographers, including Lucas Crandall's ldquo;Blue," Sarah Slipper's "Memory House," Jirà Pokorný's "At Some Hour You Return," and Ihsan Rustem's "Mother Tongue."
"We were thrilled to program Northwest Dance Company because their artistic knowledge, unique signature pieces and cultural diversity connect well with the Mongolian audience and members of the professional art community. The tour was an eye-opening cultural and learning experience for Mongolians and NWDP alike," said ACM Arts Program Director Nomintuya Baasankhuu.
NWDP was founded in 2004 and is one of the top contemporary dance companies in the U.S. For more information, visit their website. To see photos of the NWDP tour, click here.
Mongolia Reelected to CD Executive Committee
October 5 (MFA Mongolia) H.E. Mr. L.Purevuren, Foreign Minister of Mongolia delivered a statement at the High level meeting of the CD Governing Council, held on the 1st of October 2015 in New York. The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry chaired the High level meeting held under the theme of "Democracy and Security" and Foreign Ministers and other high ranking officials from the Governing council members were present at the meeting.
Minister L.Purevsuren emphasized in his statement that Mongolia is committed to ideals of the Community of Democracies and to the implementation of the Warsaw Declaration, a founding document of the Community. He informed of Mongolia's experiences and lessons learned in its 25 years of democracy building, including promoting good governance, encouraging citizen's participation, and improving electoral system. The Minister also highlighted the important role of the civil society in strengthening democracy and expressed his satisfaction that Mongolia is working with emerging democracies to share her experiences.
The United States chairs the Community of Democracies for 2015-2017 and the Chair informed of its priorities at the Governing Council, which are to implement the 2030 development goals and promote civil society participation as well as issues related to the democracy and security.
The Governing Council unanimously elected Norway as the member of the Governing Council and re-elected Mongolia as the member of the Executive Committee of the Community. The next meeting of the CD Governing Council will be held in December in Warsaw.
Mongolia Seeks Brazil's Support on Draft Resolution on Mongolia's Permanent Neutrality
Ulaanbaatar, October 5 (MONTSAME) The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Federative Republic of Brazil Mrs Ch.Sosormaa introduced Mongolia's permanent neutrality to the Ambassador Paulo Fonteira, a head of the International Organizations of the Ministry of External Relations, and Eugenio Garcia, a head of the UN division of the Ministry of External Relations of Brazil, last week, reports Ministry of foreign affairs October 5.
Mrs Sosormaa gave them the Draft resolution on Mongolia's permanent neutrality and its aide-memoire, and sounded Mongolia's intention to table the draft resolution at the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. She also asked the Brazilian side to support the draft and to co-sponsor it.
Schoolhouse on the prairie symbol of Mongolia-N.Korea ties
By Kelly Olsen
Altanbulag (Mongolia), October 5 (AFP) - For more than 50 years children on the windswept steppes of Mongolia have studied in a school built by a surprising benefactor: isolated, impoverished, often implacable North Korea.
An image of the hermit state's founder Kim Il-Sung hangs in a classroom in the yellow, two-storey building, symbolising a time when the countries marched largely in lockstep as Communist cogs in the machinery of Cold War confrontation.
Now they move to starkly different rhythms.
Former Soviet satellite Mongolia rode the wave of revolution that swept across Eastern Europe in 1989 and has become a vibrant democracy. North Korea, conversely, has doubled down into monolithic, nuclear-armed isolation.
But the ties of the past endure, as evidenced by continuing North Korean attention to the school -- and a quiet diplomatic channel between Ulan Bator and Pyongyang.
The school has around 300 pupils aged six to 18, some of them boarders who stay in a dormitory while their nomadic parents herd sheep and other livestock on the steppes.
Deshigiin Chuluunbat, principal, says its 1961 construction had its origins in the Korean War of the previous decade, when Mongolia sent horses and food as aid to Pyongyang and also took in North Korean orphans.
"North Korea reciprocated that help and built this school," he said at the facility in Altanbulag, Tov province.
Even now North Korean visitors come every year, despite Pyongyang eschewing the democratic trends that Mongolia has embraced and managing an economy under international sanctions over its atomic and missile programmes.
Pyongyang renovated a physics classroom in 2012 -- the centenary of Kim's birth -- installing two plaques above the door emblazoned with his name in Korean and Mongolian, as well as his portrait over the blackboard.
"The ordinary people in the village are totally unaware of North Korea's politics," Chuluunbat told AFP.
"They don't pay attention or have any interest in it. They just think it's good to collaborate with them and have a great school from them."
- 'No tyranny lasts forever' -
Mongolia's government, however, acts as an intermediary in global efforts to engage with North Korea.
As part of what is known as the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue -- the name uses official transliteration -- Mongolia has hosted negotiations between diplomats from Tokyo and Pyongyang over the issue of Japanese kidnapped to North Korea to train its spies.
It saw a reunion in March last year between the parents of best known abductee Megumi Yokota -- seized as a 13-year-old in 1977, and whose fate remains unclear -- and her North Korea-born daughter.
"Mongolia is uniquely positioned as the only country in Northeast Asia that enjoys good relations not only with North Korea but also South Korea, the United States, China, Russia and Japan," Brookings Institution scholars wrote in a paper.
A sprawling, sparsely-populated country squeezed between giant neighbours Russia and China, Mongolia lies in a wider East Asian region beset by territorial squabbles and resentments from modern history, notably World War II.
"Mongolia wants to be a new Helsinki, a new Geneva," said D. Shurkhuu, senior research fellow at the Institute of International Affairs of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences.
The Finnish capital was a venue for easing Cold War tensions via the landmark Helsinki Accords, and the Swiss city has for decades served as a key international negotiating centre.
Even so Mongolia has not shied from blunt speaking.
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, who as a student leader played a key role in the country's democratic transition, visited North Korea in 2013 and extolled the benefits of freedom at Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University, saying in a speech: "No tyranny lasts forever."
John Delury, an expert on China and Northeast Asia at Yonsei University in Seoul, applauds Ulan Bator's efforts.
"The platform that Mongolia provides is incredibly valuable because the United States government hardly talks to North Korea at all and you need some dialogue to have some basis for understanding where positions are," he told AFP.
"And Mongolia can create this neutral ground."
But Elbegdorj did not meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, he noted.
"The fact that he didn't does remind us of the limits of this channel."
- 'Pretty surreal' -
Such geopolitical intricacies pass over Altanbulag. The village is only around 50 kilometres from Ulan Bator but feels a world away from the capital.
The last of the route is over unpaved steppe, where ovoo -- mounds of earth and rock draped with colourful banners and sacred in Mongolian shamanism -- dot the landscape.
American Andrew Guarino was a volunteer English teacher there for two years. One day in 2012, he was summoned to find numerous official vehicles and men in dark suits with Kim Il-Sung badges.
During a solemn ceremony marking the renovation of a classroom, the visitors clapped in unison, "never off beat", and bowed before repeating the sequence, all with military-like precision.
"It was pretty surreal," he said.
Training runs on nuclear and radioactive accident awareness
Ulaanbaatar, October 5 (MONTSAME) Such as training took place from September 28 to October 2 with a participation of 24 professionals and officials from 14 organizations.
Co-organized by office of the Nuclear Energy Commission and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), the training involved staffers and officials from the General Headquarters of Mongolian Armed Forces (GHMAF), the General Customs Office, the General Agency for Specialized Inspection, the National Emergency Management Agency, the General Police Department, the Nuclear Physics Center at the Mongolian State University (MSU), and the 1st Central Hospital and other institutions. The trainees were given lessons about ion ray, nuclear and radioactive accidents and their consequences, biological impact of ray, protective clothes, ways of delivering information on radioactive accidents, transparency and communications, necessary measures, and state organization's role. Practical lessons were conducted by experts from the JAEA.
The training has become important, for it greatly improved also knowledge about preventing radioactive accidents, planning counter measures during such accidents, ensuring awareness, preparing human resources, and improving a correlation of state organizations, the organizers said.
Mongolian Embassy Announces Logo Competition for The Mongolia Institute at ANU
October 5 (Embassy of Mongolia in Australia) The Mongolia Institute of the Australian National University needs a logo and is running a small competition for Logo design. The winner will receive a book voucher of A$50 (Mogi: please, 50 bucks?). The deadline of submission is 1 November 2015. When sending the design image, please provide a brief explanation about the image and write "Logo" in the Subject line. Please send your submission to canberra@mfa.gov.mn. The Embassy encourages everyone to participate at the Logo competition.
---
6th Floor, NTN Tower
Baga Toiruu, Chingeltei District 1
Ulaanbaatar 15170, Mongolia
Email: info@covermongolia.com
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
No comments:
Post a Comment