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Monday, June 27, 2016
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ASEM 11
Abe to attend ASEM summit
June 27 (The Yomiuri Shimbun) Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will attend a summit meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to be held July 15 and 16 in Ulan Bator.
Abe will attend the meeting in the capital of Mongolia just after the House of Councillors election July 10. But Abe seems to have judged that attending the summit meeting is highly important because one of the main agenda items will likely be Britain's decision to exit the European Union.
As Japan is the chair of the Group of Seven major developed countries, Abe aims to take the initiative in regards to collaboration with the other G-7 countries.
At the G-7 Ise-Shima summit meeting in May in which Abe served as chairman, the countries agreed to avoid risks that directly impact the world economy.
ASEM comprises 51 countries across Asia and Europe and two international organizations. ASEM summit meetings are held every two years, alternating in Asia and Europe.
At the ASEM summit meeting, participating countries will likely exchange opinions about Britain's decision to leave the EU. The agenda will also likely include issues about maritime security, eyeing China's moves to expand its military bases in the South China Sea.
During the ASEM meeting period, Abe likely will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of the participating countries.
In a speech in Sendai on Saturday, Abe emphasized the importance of dealing with Britain's decision to leave the EU.
"I have concerns that risks will occur in the economy, foreign exchange rates and financial markets," he said. "What is important is international cooperation."
Presidents of five foreign countries will watch Naadam
Ulaanbaatar, June 24 (MONTSAME) This year marks the 2225th anniversary of the establishment of the statehood, 810th anniversary of the Great Mongol Empire and the 95th anniversary of the People's revolution. The organizing committee is led by the deputy prime minister of Mongolia Ts.Oyunbaatar.
He and the secretary of Naadam organizing committee have gotten au fait with the preparations for Naadam.
For the first time in Naadam history, the committee has chosen the general director of the festival opening in an open selection. State-prize-holder director T.Naranbaatar and his team of artists have been selected to perform the celebration opening.
Counselling events for ensuring the safety of jockey children, taking part in the Naadam horse races, will be organized. "Also, presidents of 4-5 countries are expected to watch the Naadam Festival this year. Therefore, the preparations must be of high standard", noted Mr Ts.Oyunbaatar.
TER closed -14.3% Friday to A$0.007
TerraCom Appoints Cameron McRae as Executive Chairman
June 27 -- TerraCom Limited (TerraCom or the Company) (ASX: TER) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Cameron McRae as Executive Chairman of the Company, effective immediately. Mr McRae will lead TerraCom's transformation into an independent, mid-tier global resource player.
TerraCom has also reviewed the structure of the senior management with the following appointments to TerraCom's executive committee to take effect immediately.
· Mr Michael Avery will move to Vice President Corporate Development and will remain on the Board as an Executive Director.
· Mr David Stone will become Vice President Operations.
· Mr Karl Arnold who is currently Mongolian Business Unit Head will move to Chief Financial Officer.
· Mr Julien Lawrence will become Chief Development Officer.
Mr McRae stated "TerraCom's group of senior executives is highly experienced. The team collectively have worked through all stages of the mining life cycle, as leaders, advisors, investors and mining contractors."
"The average experience of the executive team is 25 years. Several have worked and lived in developing environments as well as first world countries and the team has strong cross-commodity experience."
He went onto say that "I will play an active and hands-on role and look forward to working with the board and management teams to build a profitable and value-enhancing business for shareholders."
Further details on each of the Senior Executive Team can be found in the Attachment to this announcement.
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Initial Director's Interest Notice: NIL
XAM closed +2.5% Friday to A$0.205, YTD +86.4%
Copper Plate Success Ltd, CAAF Ltd's Stake in Xanadu Mines Diluted to 26.22% from 27.21%
MSE Weekly Report: Top 20 +9.3%, ALL +3.9%, Turnover ₮238.9 Million Shares, ₮59.9 Million T-Bills
June 24 (MSE) --
Mogi: merging with Ard Securities?
Altan Khoromsog Brokerage Changes Address to Ard Financial Group Building
June 24 (MSE) The official address of "Altan khoromsog" LLC changed to the building of "Ard Financial Group" LLC, Amar Street, Khoroo #8, Sukhbaatar district starting from 20 June 2016.
Please contact at: 11-321899, 7707-8080, Website: www.ardholdings.com, Email: info@ardholdings.mn
Historic low ₮2,050.85/USD set March 28, 2016. Reds are rates that set a new low at the time
BoM MNT Rates: Friday, June 24 Close
6/24 | 6/23 | 6/22 | 6/21 | 6/20 | 6/17 | 6/16 | 6/15 | 6/14 | 6/13 | 6/10 | 6/9 | 6/8 | 6/7 | 6/6 | ||
| USD | 1,938.76 | 1,941.72 | 1,941.90 | 1,947.12 | 1,950.34 | 1,952.72 | 1,956.76 | 1,961.13 | 1,970.45 | 1,970.18 | 1,974.22 | 1,980.11 | 1,980.48 | 1,985.41 | 1,984.65 |
| EUR | 2,138.94 | 2,202.20 | 2,188.81 | 2,208.52 | 2,211.20 | 2,194.56 | 2,209.18 | 2,201.56 | 2,218.83 | 2,219.60 | 2,231.07 | 2,256.83 | 2,251.81 | 2,254.63 | 2,250.99 |
| JPY | 18.97 | 18.60 | 18.57 | 18.64 | 18.63 | 18.72 | 18.87 | 18.46 | 18.63 | 18.58 | 18.46 | 18.55 | 18.49 | 18.46 | 18.54 |
| GBP | 2,637.97 | 2,863.45 | 2,851.97 | 2,864.80 | 2,841.16 | 2,780.77 | 2,767.25 | 2,777.74 | 2,788.68 | 2,796.28 | 2,852.16 | 2,874.13 | 2,881.20 | 2,879.64 | 2,852.04 |
| RUB | 29.36 | 30.05 | 30.55 | 30.34 | 30.12 | 29.83 | 29.76 | 29.75 | 29.91 | 30.07 | 30.52 | 31.16 | 30.66 | 30.35 | 30.23 |
| CNY | 292.99 | 295.18 | 294.71 | 296.12 | 296.35 | 296.39 | 297.62 | 297.46 | 299.02 | 299.16 | 300.86 | 301.76 | 301.41 | 302.11 | 302.32 |
| KRW | 1.64 | 1.69 | 1.68 | 1.68 | 1.68 | 1.67 | 1.67 | 1.67 | 1.68 | 1.68 | 1.69 | 1.72 | 1.71 | 1.71 | 1.70 |
| SGD | 1,426.87 | 1,451.32 | 1,447.83 | 1,450.80 | 1,450.61 | 1,444.69 | 1,450.37 | 1,446.37 | 1,455.39 | 1,451.60 | 1,456.51 | 1,469.69 | 1,463.77 | 1,463.47 | 1,457.27 |
| CAD | 1,486.49 | 1,516.49 | 1,519.72 | 1,523.09 | 1,519.13 | 1,509.76 | 1,509.79 | 1,526.17 | 1,535.93 | 1,541.07 | 1,550.96 | 1,562.09 | 1,555.39 | 1,549.17 | 1,529.54 |
| AUD | 1,427.02 | 1,461.24 | 1,453.80 | 1,457.32 | 1,451.15 | 1,441.60 | 1,438.71 | 1,447.80 | 1,457.64 | 1,456.75 | 1,463.79 | 1,479.34 | 1,472.98 | 1,476.15 | 1,455.54 |
| HKD | 249.83 | 250.31 | 250.33 | 250.92 | 251.34 | 251.64 | 252.19 | 252.72 | 253.90 | 253.76 | 254.34 | 255.17 | 255.07 | 255.60 | 255.50 |
| CHF | 1,986.33 | 2,026.42 | 2,021.76 | 2,028.25 | 2,032.87 | 2,025.75 | 2,042.44 | 2,033.63 | 2,042.66 | 2,045.35 | 2,047.84 | 2,065.30 | 2,051.57 | 2,044.60 | 2,031.68 |
Bank USD rates at time of sending: Khan (Buy ₮1,930 Sell ₮1,942), TDB (Buy ₮1,936 Sell ₮1,949), Golomt (Buy ₮1,930 Sell ₮1,942), XacBank (Buy ₮1,933 Sell ₮1,943), State Bank (Buy ₮1,935 Sell ₮1,948)
MNT vs USD (blue), CNY (red) in last 1 year:
BoM issues ₮167.2 billion 1-week bills at 10.5%, total outstanding +23% to ₮372.95 billion
June 24 (Bank of Mongolia) BoM issues 1 week bills worth MNT 167.2 billion at a weighted interest rate of 10.5 percent per annum /For previous auctions click here/
Livestock population reaches historic high of 73 million
Ulaanbaatar, June 24 (MONTSAME) Ministry of Food and Agriculture reported Friday that the number of livestock has reached 73 million heads after the country received 18.8 million heads of baby animals this spring.
As of today, 19.3 million heads or 81% of total 23 million heads of dams have given births nationwide, thus the number of baby animals has become 18.8 million heads. 55 thousand heads of them were baby camels, 568 thousand--foals, 954 thousand--calves, 9.4 million--lambs and 7.9 million--baby goats.
960 thousand people receive first tranche of TT share payment
Ulaanbaatar, June 24 (MONTSAME) Every Mongolian citizen possesses 1072 shares of Erdenes Tavantolgoi LLC. The Government enforced a right for citizens aged 18 and more to sell 30 percent of their shares. One million and 650 thousand citizens have the right, and some 1.2 million of them have issued requests to sell.
The first payments of the sold shares have been allocated to the accounts of the citizens since Monday. Total of 960 thousand people have received their first payments, as of today.
Woman wins MNT 20 million in VAT lottery
June 24 (news.mn) According to the Value Added Tax (VAT) Law, the lottery takes place twice a month. In May, B.Avirmed won MNT 20 million from the lottery. Today, she and other winners handed over their certificates from the Customs and Tax Administration. B.Avirmed's winning confirmation came from electric payment. She wants to buy a new car.
There are 8307 individuals who have won 20 thousand tugriks.
- 100 thousand tugriks – 845
- 500 thousand tugriks – 82
- 4 million tugriks – 11
- 20 million tugriks – 1
Registered tax payers can win up to MNT 100 million from the lottery draw. Traders have started printing special receipts which enable residents to recover up to 20 percent of VAT payments and participate in lotteries since 1st January this year.
World Bank: Statement on the study Land Administration and Management in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
ULAANBAATAR, June 24, 2016 (World Bank) - The World Bank report titled Land Administration and Management in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, was completed and publicly released sixteen months ago in February 2015. The purpose of this important report was to assess how land is managed in Mongolia's largest city, home to nearly half of the country's population. The report covered the institutions governing land management, the means of managing urban expansion, and the potential for land as a source of revenue, among other topics. The study was one of many that have been produced since the 1990s, in cooperation with successive city administrations, on topics including energy, air pollution, and city finances. These studies are paid for by the World Bank's own resources.
To draw attention to the cost of allocating land at prices below market values, the report included several estimates of foregone revenues stemming from those practices. Three different estimates, using three different sets of assumptions, were presented. The study provides a detailed explanation of the methods, the assumptions underlying each of the estimates, the data sources used for the computations, and the reasons that certain assumptions were adopted. Such transparency ensures that the estimates can be easily replicated. The full report is available in both English and Mongolian on our website.
Our intention in producing the study on Land Administration and Management was to stimulate public discussion on land management practices, and to propose concrete policy recommendations for improvements, all of which can be found in the report. As in cities around the world, land management in the capital city plays a pivotal role in the country's development and in the lives of the city's residents. We hope that the study continues to stimulate debate on how to manage Ulaanbaatar's land, and that reforms continue for managing those resources strategically, efficiently, and fairly.
Mongolian entrepreneurs to meet President Barack Obama
June 24 (UB Post) Mongolian entrepreneurs B.Khongorzul and B.Amartaivan are taking part in the seventh annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, from June 22 to 24, according to the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar.
The forum has gathered more than 700 attendees, including entrepreneurs, investors, educators, foreign government officials, and business representatives, who represent the full measure of entrepreneurial talent from diverse backgrounds across the world. They are attending two plenary sessions in addition to breakout sessions and master classes.
This year, President Barack Obama is joining the entrepreneurs along with other high-level U.S. government officials, including Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Administrator of the Small Business Administration Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of USAID Gayle Smith, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Catherine Russell, and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel.
The GES 2016 is the seventh installment in a series previously hosted by the United States and the governments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Morocco, and Kenya.
B.Khongorzul, representing Mongolia in this year's GES, is a feminist and advocate for women and children's rights, fighting for gender equality and all things equal and just. After graduating the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of the Tufts University with Foreign Fulbright Scholarship in 2014, B.Khongorzul worked at the Breakthrough Communications in Ulaanbaatar before getting to her current position as a public outreach and stakeholder engagement specialist at the National Secretariat for Development of the Second Compact of the Millennium Challenge Corporation in the U.S.A.
Innovative entrepreneur B.Amartaivan is a graduate of the School of Information Technology at the National University of Mongolia, who won second place in the Mongolian National Olympiad in Informatics in 2014. He previously led two IT projects, Duran Khar and MobiStadium. Currently, he is working as the project team leader of Ymoment.com product aimed to improve video watching experiences.
Mongolia expands international cooperation on animal health
By Mainbayar Badarch
June 24 (Animal Pharm) Mongolia has recently been actively expanding its multilateral and bilateral cooperation on animal health with international organizations.
The country's government has given importance to international cooperation in the animal health sector to protect its …
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Minnesota Veterinarian Brings Equine Science to Mongolia
June 25 (The Horse) A Minnesota veterinarian is challenging tradition, skepticism, and the remnants of Russian socialism to bring modern veterinary medicine to Mongolia's most remote horse herders.
Located in East Asia, Mongolia is bordered on the south by China and by Russia on the north. The region was long ruled by nomadic empires including that of Genghis Khan, who created the Mongol Empire, and his grandson Kublai Khan, who conquered China and established the Yuan Dynasty there. Modern Mongolia became independent of China in 1921. Later, the country came under Russian control and, by 1935, it was known as The Mongolian People's Republic, a satellite of the Soviet state. Following a series of anti-Communist revolts, Mongolia became an independent democratic nation in 1991.
Throughout its history Mongolia has been inhabited by nomadic tribes—roughly 30% of the population remains nomadic today—and the country's cultural and economic identity has always revolved around its horses.
"The horse is part of their whole culture," said Tom Juergens, DMV, founder of Anoka Equine Veterinary Services in Elk River, Minnesota, where he practiced until his retirement in 2008. "They race them, they ride them, they breed them, they raise them for meat, and they milk the mares five times a day. Horses are even on their currency."
Still, because most of those horses and their handlers reside in rural, isolated villages scattered throughout the country, herders have come to rely on traditional remedies, such as acupuncture and bleeding, passed down from generation to generation to treat ailing animals.
"For example, if a horse is lame on the left side, the herder will make cuts on four or five places on the right leg," Juergens said. "Not out of cruelty, but to help the horse."
So in 2000, Juergens and John Haffner, DVM, began traveling to Mongolia through the faith-based Mongolia Fast Horse Ministry to teach herders and local veterinarians how modern scientific methods could improve their horses' health and productivity. The pair later established the Fast Horse Seminar to teach modern practice methods to young Mongolians veterinarians before they begin working in the field.
"Our goal is to eventually have Mongolians training Mongolians," Juergens said.
But before they could replace traditional treatments with modern scientific options Juergens and his team had to prove that those practices would, indeed, improve horses' health and productivity. So, every year, he and the team traveled to remote Mongolian villages to show herders the benefits of simple scientific treatments.
"If you can bring mortality from 51% down to 15% with ivermectin or some vitamin shots … we can demonstrate the effectiveness of those treatments," Juergens said.
Further, each summer the Fast Horse team attends the annual Naadam festival, a three-day competition highlighted by a 15- to 25-mile horse race ridden by young Mongols aged 4 to 12 years. When Juergens and the team initially visited the event, they learned that some participating horses died of dehydration following the race. So they provided buckets of electrolyte -infused water at the finish line. But, at first, their help was seen as interference.
"The first time we brought the electrolytes we had the buckets kicked out of our hands," Juergens recalled.
Eventually, through a combination of persistence and proof, Juergens and his team gained credibility among most of the herders and veterinarians with whom they worked. But not all the mission's challenges are related to fieldwork, he said. Until 1991 when the Russians withdrew from Mongolia, all veterinarians were socialist-style national employees who had little incentive to travel to remote herding areas, and even less motivation to embrace treatment advances developed in the West. Since then, the country has become a democracy with an interest in its own economic development. But a more than 50-year tradition of jealousy, bribery, and government control still persists.
"For example, the government controls common drugs such as ivermectin, (flunixin meglumine), and vitamins such as A and D," Juergens said, adding that it charges $10,000 to approve each for use in Mongolia. "We've had 49 drugs approved by the government that represents $400,000 and some of the drug manufacturers are paying for the approvals, but we have to pay for the rest with fund raising."
At the same time, old-school instructors are not always accepting of the way the Fast Horse Seminars are changing the curricula in some of the country's veterinary schools.
"There's some jealousy there because, in some cases, the young veterinarians know more than their teachers do," Juergens said.
Likewise, some Mongolian politicians are also slow to embrace the way both education and business are carried out in the West.
"There is still a whole group in Parliament that are socialist," Juergens said. "It will take turning a generation or two before that (socialist) thinking is completely gone."
Even so, thanks largely to its mineral mining industry Mongolia is growing a wealthier class. For those people, owning racehorses and employing herders to take care of them is a sign of prosperity and prestige. As a result, Juergens said, veterinarians are seeing an influx of drugs in the country from China, such steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs that have been banned in most other racing jurisdictions around the world for years. Also flooding the country are other drugs whose manufacture and efficacy are questionable, he added.
But the effort of veterinarians like Juergens and others is slowly beginning to pay off, said Justin Nelzan winner of the 2010 Mongolian Derby. The 62-mile race recreates the horse messenger system developed by Ghengis Khan in 1224. Fédération Equestre Internationale veterinarians now tend to the horses along the route and, increasingly, young Mongolian veterinarians are working alongside them, Nelzan said. It's proof that some Mongolians are beginning to embrace modern ways to care for their horses, he added.
"This is a country where horses outnumber people by seven to one and people stand by their traditions," Nelzan said. "But just the fact that the Mongolian veterinarians were there shows that things are changing, but very slowly."
Meanwhile, Juergens and the Mongolia Fast Horse Ministry team are also taking the long view.
"We can geld 50 horses without excessive bleeding or infection and pat ourselves on the back, but we'll still only have 50 gelded horses," Juergens said. "Or, we can have 50 Mongolian veterinarians geld 50 horses each and that's 2,500 horses. We can make a difference. We can demonstrate our Christian faith and help horses at the same time."
EYE OF THE DRONE: A night at the National Amusement Park
June 24 (gogo.mn) How people spend the night at National Amusement Park, the most attractive area of the UB city? We are introducing you the one night at National Amusement Park through our "Eye of Drone" video series.
G.Munhbayar, former City Governor, has initiated to establish National Amusement Park in 2009 and the first investment worth of MNT 1 billion was made.
As a result, 55 hectares of land, enables people to spend their free time, with more than 94 thousand trees and bushes was built.
Mogi: Russia should start by suspending its own dams that affect Baikal.
Chinese Silk Road Project Suspended Over Threats to Lake Baikal
By Eugene Simonov, Russian environmentalist who co-founded the Rivers Without Boundaries Coalition. He has created a network of stakeholders interested in river conservation along the China-Mongolia border, where dam building on a monumental scale threatens the fragile wetland ecosystems in the birthplace of Genghis Khan.
June 24 (The Third Pole) China has put temporary halt on a dam which could destroy the Siberian lake ecosystem, highlighting lack of environmental safeguards along the new Silk Road, argues Eugene Simonov.
Every Chinese person knows about one place in Siberia – Lake Baikal. It is not necessarily famous for its unique biodiversity or for being the deepest lake in the world. Every winter, radio broadcasts warn Chinese listeners about "cold air masses that are moving in from the Lake Baikal…" It's also the subject of a popular folk song.
Lake Baikal contains 20% of the world's freshwater resources and affects the regional climate of North Asia and the Arctic Basin. The lake is home to 2,500 aquatic species and local communities in Mongolia and Russia revere the lake as the "Sacred Sea".
Chinese people are beginning to value Lake Baikal and are increasingly coming as tourists to see it. Some Chinese citizens are even investing in the risky tourism business around the lake. Recently the China-based Well of the World company proposed pouring Baikal water into bottles to quench Chinese thirst. But this nature-friendly relationship could be severely damaged as the China Export-Import Bank (China EXIM Bank) has pledged a soft loan to Mongolia for a project that may tip the fragile ecological balance of the ancient lake.
On November 11, 2015, Mongolia and China issued a joint statement that calls for the development of large industrial projects including major coal projects and hydropower. For that Mongolia secured a $ 1 billion loan from the China EXIM Bank, which it intends to use for the construction of the Egiin Gol hydropower project. A $100 million concession for access roads and bridges has been awarded to the China Gezhouba and construction activity began during the harsh winter months.
These energy schemes are essential parts of China's new Silk Road initiative, aimed at integrating the country with its neighbours. But in the spring, Chinese authorities intervened to suspend the dam project until due diligence is carried out on transboundary impacts. This highlights the lack of environmental safeguards and green development guidelines under the silk road, which provides polluting state-owned companies, no longer welcome at home, with opportunities to invest in infrastructure energy and heavy industry in neighbouring countries.
Dam damage
The hydropower project is located on the Eg River near its confluence with the Selenge River, the main source of Lake Baikal. Feasibility studies for the hydropower dam were completed ten years ago under the auspices of the Asian Development Bank in an ill-directed attempt to boost renewable energy use in Mongolia. Although electricity generation potential of the rapidly drying rivers of Mongolia is 3,000 times smaller than that its wind and sun potential, the World Bank followed the Chinese script. Its feasibility studies for several coal projects and two more large dams in the Baikal Basin, one of them – the Shuren Hydro dam – is planned on the Selenge River itself.
Mongolian government agencies are looking at ten more hydropower dam locations on the Baikal Basin, justified by the need to "de-carbonise" the energy sector and achieve energy independence from Russia.
Climate stricken lake
The International Union for Conservation of Nature reported in 2015 that the combined effects of the projects on the lake are not fully known and could seriously damage its UNESCO World Heritage status.
The World Heritage Committee discussed the dams that could damage Lake Baikal at a meeting in Bonn in July 2015. The committee set forth requirements for an impact assessment of Egiin Gol and two other projects, as well as a cumulative impacts assessment for all three dams. The committee requested Mongolia (and by default, China) to not approve any of the projects until all assessments for dams have been completed and reviewed by the World Heritage Center.
The ecosystem of the lake has already been severely damaged by the construction of the Irkutsk Hydropower plant built upstream in Russia in 1960. This, along with prolonged drought in Mongolia, has led to a decline in the lake's water levels. Climate change and pollution combined to create an ecological and socio-economic crisis on the Baikal Lake shore with massive invasive algae blooms, a decline in fisheries and an increase in severe peat fires in the Selenge River delta.
Weak standards
So how did China, which is prioritising a cleaner environment at home and is promoting "green development" globally as a G20 leader, make such a dangerous mistake by starting work on Egiin Gol?
This is a consequence of gaps still present in the design of China's New Silk Road Initiative (or One Belt One Road) aimed at integrating the country with its neighbours and global markets. However, great it is at boosting new economic cooperation, the New Silk Road Initiative so far lacks clear environmental safeguards and specific green development guidelines. Grand plans for "new economic corridors" are not subjected to strategic environmental assessments to avoid environmental damage and select the best alternatives.
Finally, there is no mechanism for consultation with stakeholders living along the Silk Road. Without this, Chinese investors lack information on actual environmental and social risks. Or they get it too late, as in this case when supervising agencies ordered Gezhouba to stop construction .
China's National Development and Reform Commission suspended the project over concerns about transboundary impacts of the dam project, according to sources within the company and the Mongolian foreign ministry. China EXIM Bank has also asked their Mongolian counterparts to conduct due diligence on Egiin Gol. Meanwhile the project is in limbo.
Most likely, Chinese agencies pursuing energy cooperation with Mongolia had not assessed the environmental effects of various investment options or the associated trans-boundary water issues. Then, all of a sudden this spring, the EXIM Bank received a letter from the people of Russia's Kabansk District in the Selenge River Delta and learned that the project it was supporting could harm Lake Baikal, which is the source of cold winter air in China.
An alternative way forward was proposed by the 64 000 people who signed a petition last year asking Mongolia, Russia and China to support solar and wind instead of hydropower and coal. China, with its ambitions to develop a large-scale renewable industry, should listen to these voices.
An earlier version of this article was published on Russia Beyond the Headlines.
Similar:
US$1 billion proposed 315-MW Egiin hydroelectric project in Mongolia, on hold – HydroWorld, June 24
Xi proposes joint efforts on three-way economic corridor
June 24 (China Daily) President Xi Jinping proposed joint efforts with Russia and Mongolia on Thursday to achieve fruitful results in building an economic corridor linking the three countries.
The nations should also enhance cooperation in areas including infrastructure interconnection, investment, production capacity, culture and environmental protection, he said.
Xi made the remarks at a trilateral meeting of leaders from China, Russia and Mongolia on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
The meeting, chaired by Xi and attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, is the third of its kind.
The development strategies of the three countries — China's Belt and Road Initiative, Russia's construction of a Europe-Asia passage and Mongolia's Grass Road initiatives — should be the focus of the trilateral cooperation, Xi said.
The three countries should also enhance cooperation under the SCO framework, he said.
Putin, describing China and Mongolia as friendly neighbors based on equality, respect and mutual benefits, said Russia wants to work with the two countries to cooperate on infrastructure construction, transportation and customs facilitation.
Russia is willing to advance the process of forming a regional economic body with China and Mongolia and to enhance people-to-people exchanges, Putin said.
Elbegdorj spoke highly of building a Mongolia-China-Russia economic corridor, adding that Mongolia wants to enhance cooperation on infrastructure and economic affairs along the border region.
Ulan Bator will make efforts with Beijing and Moscow to achieve cooperation on agriculture and the prevention of natural disasters, he said.
Sun Zhuangzhi, secretary-general of the SCO Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it has been tradition for the leaders of China, Russia and Mongolia to meet on the sidelines of SCO summits.
He said the priority for the three neighbors is to discuss details of linking their development strategies and to build the China-Mongolia-Russia corridor, which has been declared part of the Silk Road Economic Belt.
"There is huge potential in trilateral cooperation. However, to eliminate obstacles, we have to build a joint community of fate, strengthen high-level policy coordination, and make long-term top-level plans for bilateral ties and regional cooperation," he said.
Related:
China, Russia and Mongolia Defend Boost of Economic Corridor - Prensa Latina, June 24
Video: Leaders endorse development plan on economic corridor – CCTV, June 24
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on June 24, 2016 – China MFA, June 24
Heads of state of Mongolia, Russia and China meet
June 24 (gogo.mn) In scope of 16th Meeting of Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation /SCO/ in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the third trilateral meeting between the heads of sate of Mongolia, Russia and China was held yesterday.
During the meeting, parties have concluded the cooperation in trade, economic, infrastructure, transit transport, energy, tourism and border as well as mutually agreed to strengthen the cooperation in further.
At the meeting, the three presidents have signed program to establish the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor and an agreement between Russia's Federal Customs Service, China's General Administration of Customs, and Mongolia's General Tax and Customs Administration on mutual recognition of customs inspection results with regard to particular categories of goods.
The program of an economic corridor between the Russian Federation, China and Mongolia includes some 30 projects. Land-locked Mongolia will become a transit corridor linking China and Russia. The aim is to strengthen transport, logistics and trade in the region.
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Related:
Mongolia-China-Russian economic corridor to be built – Montsame, June 24
President addresses SCO meeting
Tashkent, June 24 (MONTSAME) On June 24, President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj addressed the meeting of the Council of heads of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The Mongolian President extended congratulation on the 15th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and thanked his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov for successful organization of the SCO Summit.
He also congratulated India and Pakistan for stepping onto the road to becoming full members of the organization which is conducive to enhancing SCO both political and economic potential and giving SCO more energy to cope with regional challenges and problems.
Over 12 years, Mongolia has taken active part in SCO meetings of all levels stating its willingness to participate in SCO multilateral economic cooperation. In view of this, Mongolia considers building a cooperation mechanism between SCO member states, observers and partners is important.
The Mongolian part finds "6+5" meeting of national coordinators of SCO member states and observers as an important mechanism for promoting interactions between them. For this, Mongolia is proposing to hold the mechanism on regular basis.
Ts.Elbegdorj noted that SCO development strategy until 2025 which was adopted in Ufa last year, has shaped SCO development prospects for the next decade. Mongolia welcomes the strategic document which ensures consolidation of real cooperation between SCO and observer states and their participation in project activities.
Mutually beneficial collaboration of the countries comes to be a vital pillar for ensuring regional security and stability. Mongolia gives priorities to promoting cooperation within SCO in the fields of infrastructure, trade, economy, agriculture, environment and combating natural disasters, said the President.
With a huge transit transport potential Mongolia is establishing with its neighbors agreements which are essential in this area. There are opportunities to combine efforts in studying feasibilities for constructing oil and gas pipelines as well as road constructions through the territory of Mongolia.
On June 23, Mongolia, Russia and China held a top level meeting to reach trilateral cooperation agreement. Signed by the three partiers the Program on building trilateral economic corridor was an important step towards creating a new cooperation dimensions through coordinating regional multilateral cooperation, particularly, SCO, Eurasian economic union, Mongolian Steppe Road and Chinese Silk Road Economic Belt initiatives.
In informing that leads-up to the ASEM Summit to be held in Ulaanbaatar on July 15-16 and to celebration of the 20th anniversary of ASEM are underway, the Mongolian President thanked SCO members, observers and partners for providing their support in organizing the upcoming event and wished them to take active part in it.
Ts.Elbegdorj meets his counterpart of Uzbekistan
Ulaanbaatar, June 26 (MONTSAME) On the sidelines of the Meeting of Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization /SCO/ in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, the President of Mongolia Ts. Elbegdorj met with his counterpart of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.
The Mongolian President Elbegdorj congratulated Islam Karimov on successfully organizing the international important event. The Presidents of the countries exchanged views on works to enhance the bilateral relations and partnership between the two countries.
Mongolia and Turkey to cooperate in diplomatic archive development
June 24 (UB Post) Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey are visiting Mongolia to commence collaboration in the development of diplomatic archives between Mongolia and Turkey.
Through the visit, Deputy Director of Diplomatic Archives of Turkey Yavuz Evirgen and Turkish Ambassador to Mongolia Murat Karagoz met with State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs D.Gankhuyag to discuss cooperation.
During his visit to Turkey, held in March 2016, State Secretary D.Gankhuyag signed a memorandum of cooperation in the archival sector between the ministries of foreign affairs of the two countries. Through the memorandum, the sides agreed to exchange experiences in the area of diplomatic archives, share information on standards, and provide technical assistances.
Measles back in Mongolia, CDC issues travel notice
June 24 (Outbreak News Today) After being declared measles-free in 2014, measles is back in very large numbers in Mongolia in 2016, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a travel notice for travelers to the East Asian country.
Mongolia reported no confirmed measles cases in 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2015, they reported more than 1600 confirmed cases, just a year after being declared measles free.
The CDC reported last week the measles outbreak in Mongolia has reached more than 19,000 cases nationwide and 59 infant deaths. Most of the infected have been students and infants. The capital city of Ulaanbaatar is most seriously hit.
CDC recommends that travelers to Mongolia protect themselves by making sure they are vaccinated against measles, particularly infants 6–11 months of age (1 dose of measles vaccine) and children 12 months of age or older (2 doses of measles vaccine). Clinicians should keep measles in mind when treating patients with fever and rash, especially if the patient has recently traveled internationally.
Snail Mail Problems? A Three-Word Solution Is Coming
June 25 (Newsweek) Ganhuyag Chuluun Hutagt, the former vice minister of finance of Mongolia, doesn't have a mailing address for his home in Ulaanbaatar, the country's capital. Instead, he gets his personal mail where he works—the Ard Holdings building, which doesn't have an address either, but it is large and prominent enough that the post office knows where it is. That's common in Mongolia, where only a tiny percentage of people have a proper address, says Hutagt, now CEO of Ard Holdings, a financial holding company that has a stake in the Mongol Post, the country's largely state-owned mail service.
Ulaanbaatar is growing "organically," says Hutagt—many streets don't have names and buildings lack numbers. At the city's outskirts, people stay in tents, called gers, adding more unaccounted-for homes to the mix. And in the rest of the vast country, where many maintain a nomadic lifestyle, figuring out where to send someone's mail frequently involves lots of asking around and crossed fingers. "Obviously, herders don't have addresses," says Hutagt.
But that should soon change, thanks to What3words, a British company that has figured out a way for any location on Earth to be pinpointed with just three words. The company divided up the entire world into 57 trillion squares, each 3 meters by 3 meters (roughly 10 feet by 10 feet), and it has preassigned each a unique three-word address. The company's entranceway in London, for example, is "index.home.raft." In New York City, the southwest corner of Central Park can be described as "cute.seated.joke."
The system works in conjunction with GPS, and the company's co-founder and CEO, Chris Sheldrick, says it's as accurate as giving someone 16 digits worth of latitude and longitude. The key difference? Words are easier to remember—and tell someone—than numbers. "We wanted to make it very easy for anybody to communicate a precise location," Sheldrick says. The whole world—even the oceans—is covered by 40,000 English words.
Mongolia is now integrating the system into its postal network. The three-word addresses will be available in the Mongolian language in July, and Sheldrick says the hope is to "get the first packages delivered in August." Mongolia was ripe territory for the system. "The [Mongol] Post struggles to fulfill all of their deliveries in the capital city. There's a lot of either delayed deliveries or failed deliveries because of the address problem," Sheldrick says.
Hutagt is optimistic about the What3words app's potential to help Mongolians receive mail, improve the government's ability to reach its people and even drive up e-commerce business—after all, you can't have Amazon Prime without a place to deliver your packages.
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Mongolia may be spearheading a three-word address revolution – The Next Web, June 24
Local woman rescues five children from blaze
June 24 (news.mn) The Ulaanbaatar Emergency Management Department has honoured G. Tuvshinhargal for rescuing five terrified children from a fire in a ger (yurt) on June17. When a neighbour's ger went up in flames she rushed to help. Upon entering the ger, she found five terrified screaming children. She managed to extinguish the fire before the ger fully burnt down. The cause of the fire had been an electric pan, which the children had decided to try to cook fritters in. G. Tuvshinhargal lives in UB's Bayanzukh district.
2 more Mongolia boxers qualify for Rio
Ulaanbaatar, June 24 (MONTSAME) Boxers of the national selected team of Mongolia were qualified to compete in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics after they reached finals in the AIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament continuing in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Champion of the Chemistry Cup, Czech Grand Prix and Summer Universiade Kh.Enkh-Amar IMS obtained his Olympic quota by defeating a Thai boxer Tanes Ongjunta in the men's flyweight category (52 kg) in the quarterfinals. Another boxer E.Tsendbaatar IMS got the right in the men's bantamweight division (56 kg) after beating Juan Reyes Donis of Guatemala. In the finals, the Mongolian boxers will fight for gold medals against USA and Japan, respectively.
As of today, the national boxing team gained Olympic quotas in six weight categories.
Junior wrestlers to compete in Asian Championships
Ulaanbaatar, June 24 (MONTSAME) Freestyle Wrestling Federation of Mongolia (FSWFM) announced Friday names of wrestlers to take part in the Junior Wrestling Asian Championships to be held July 7-10 in Taichung, Chinese Taipei.
Our team included 34 wrestlers to partake in boys and girls' contests in weight categories from 42 kg to 100 kg (boys), and 40 kg to 70 kg (girls). They are coached by Yo.Batdarkhan and E.Battushig from Darkhan-Uul and Ovorkhangai aimags, respectively.
Yu.Batsaikhan and Kh.Ganbold have been included in the competitions' panel of judges.
In the previous year's Asian Championships, A.Battsetseg grabbed gold medal in the girls' contest.
Annual Playtime live music festival starts today
June 24 (news.mn) The 'Playtime-2016' Mongolian Live Music Festival begins today, Friday 24th June. The annual event is taking place at the 'Mongol Shiltgeen' camp located in the village Gachuurt, just to the east of UB. Over the weekend, lovers of live music can enjoy Mongolian and international singers, DJ's and performances by an exciting range of bands. This year, international headliners such as "The Radio Dept" (Sweden), "Roth Bart Baron" (Japan), "Anna Judge April" (Singapore), "The You" (Japan), "Shenanigans" (South Korea), "Fu-Ching-Gido" (Japan), "Slackers" (Russia), "9596" (Inner Mongolia) as well as Mongolia's "Nisvanis" and "Lemons" will perform. Мongol Mix Project is in charge of festival production. Twenty DJ's will set the tone on the Naglikhaash stage - one of the several stages at the festival.
The Mongolian Live Music Festival has been held annually since 2002 and has become a much-anticipated popular event among lovers of live music. The festival has seen big growth and success over the past years. In recent years the numbers of festival goers has increased from 600 to 5000.
Ch.Tselmuun: I am a woman with high self-esteem
June 24 (UB Post) With her powerful and soulful voice, Ch.Telmuun became the winner of the first season of "Universe Best Songs", a popular Mongolian TV singing competition. Now, she has risen to the top – she has become a pop idol in the Mongolian music industry. Not only has she proven herself to be a phenomenal singer but also an impressive actress, starring in the lead of "Zurkhend Gereltekh Od" (Shining Star in the Heart) musical film and "Eejiin Daisan" (Mother's Enemy) film.
The following is an interview with Ch.Tselmuun, who favors an "ordinary and peaceful" life.
Why did you decide to do the interview outside of the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences?
I majored in biotechnology and food science. I earned my doctorate in medical education. At the moment, I'm working here [the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences] as a coordinator for a capacity-building project for medical professionals in Mongolia. We organize a training aimed at improving the skills of health experts in seven core fields.
Is singing your hobby?
People assume that I'm a singer, but technically, I'm not a professional artist who graduated from the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture. I participated and won "Universe Best Songs" when I was a teenager. They probably call me a "singer" because they value and support me.
Did you challenge yourself in similar competitions before "Universe Best Songs"?
I participated in numerous competitions and tournaments when I was younger. I would've never guessed that I would actually win "Universe Best Songs". I didn't even know that it was such a large scale competition either. I was an ordinary student finishing her third year in university. Winning wasn't important to me – I wanted to challenge myself. That was important to me. It brought many new things to my life.
After winning "Universe Best Songs", you started getting attention from the public and became a favorite target for gossip journalists. Was this hard for a teenage girl?
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Number of tourist increases 6% in May
Ulaanbaatar, June 24 (MONTSAME) Based on a report from the General Authority of Citizenship and Migration, the Tourism Division of Ulaanbaatar Municipality has informed that the number of tourism was 30 thousand and 553 by May of this year which increased by six per cent against the previous year.
Tourists from Japan went up by 30%, USA--by 22%, Russia--by 25%, Kazakhstan--by 3.8%, Germany--by 10%, Australia--by 47% and France--by 34%, whereas tourists from China declined by 6%, South Korea--by 4% and UK--by 4%.
Air Busan opens Busan-Ulaanbaatar route
June 24 (Korea Herald) Air Busan began flying the Busan-Ulaanbaatar route on June 24, becoming the first Korean carrier to operate the route between the two cities.
For Air Busan, this is the 17th international route. Air Busan is a budget carrier subsidiary of Kumho Asiana Group's Asiana Airlines.
Air Busan operates Busan-Ulaanbaatar flights on Tuesdays at 10:35 a.m. and Fridays at 8:35 a.m. Ulaanbaatar-Busan flights will take off at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesdays and 1:40 p.m. on Fridays.
Exploring The Gobi Desert in Mongolia: A How-To Guide
By Nick and Dariece, Goats on the Road
June 23 (Travel Pulse) The Gobi Desert is one of the most interesting places we've ever visited. Whether you're a fan of deserts or not, if you're traveling to Mongolia, the Gobi Desert should be high on your travel itinerary. The Gobi spans two countries (China and Mongolia), covers 1.3 million square kilometers, and is the fifth largest desert in the world. Visiting this incredible place is best done from the capital city of Ulan Bator. Here's how to arrange your Gobi Desert Tour.
Finding A Tour Operator
This is the most important part of the planning process. There are some reputable companies, and some that are best avoided. Make sure to do your research before agreeing to join a tour. Also, don't book this ahead of time from your home country, as the costs will be significantly higher than if you reserve in Mongolia. The best way to go about finding a driver and guide for your Gobi trip is to ask around at your hostel or hotel, or head into a travel/tour agency in Ulan Bator. During our trip, we were told a few horror stories from travelers who went with Golden Gobi, so we chose to avoid them.
We ended up choosing to arrange our tour through our hostel, Sun Path Guesthouse. Except for the fact that we wished our guide knew a few more facts, the tour was excellent. Another company that gets glowing reviews is Ger-to-Ger. Always check with your fellow travelers, look at travel blogs online and do a TripAdvisor search before booking your trip. As a reference, we paid $45 per person per day, and there were six of us. We did bargain the price down, and we went for six days instead of seven. This price included everything.
What To Bring On The Tour
Once you've figured out how you're going to get to the desert, you'll want to think about what to bring with you. Your food and water will be covered, but there are some other necessities:
1. Moist Towelettes
Unless you're on a luxury trip, there won't be any showers in the desert. You'll be able to find a hose and a washbasin, but that's about it. Bring some moist towelettes to wipe the dust off of yourself during the day. These are a lifesaver.
2. Toilet Paper
The ger (yurt) camps don't have any.
3. A flashlight or headlamp
For those late-night walks to the outhouse.
4. Entertainment
A deck of cards is a good idea, so is a book and some music.
5. Sleeping Bag
The gers will have blankets for you to use ... but who knows when they were last washed. Plus, they often smell like goats.
6. Snacks and Water
Meals are included and for our trip, 1.5L of water per person was included. But, for us, this just wasn't enough. We suggest bringing some extra water (it's best to be over prepared in the desert), and some snacks for those in-between meal times, and for the road trip.
The Sights and Activities
The Gobi Desert is a very unique place. Here you'll find sand dunes, rocky mountains, towering cliffs, and a gorge with a river running through it (which is actually covered in ice for 10 months out of the year!). The terrain in the Gobi is incredible. During a typical week-long trip, these will be the highlights/stops on your tour:
1. The Flaming Cliffs
These cliffs jut out of the ground and when the sun hits them just right, they take on a reddish (flaming) hue. This is also the first place where dinosaur eggs were discovered.
2. Sand Dunes
You can ride a camel to the dunes if you like, or walk. Hiking around the dunes is amazing, make sure to stay up there for views of sunset!
3. Yolyn Am Gorge
This gorge is covered in ice for 10 months of the year! If you're there when it's not covered in ice, you can walk through the beautiful gorge, or go on a horseback riding trip.
4. Rock Temple with Caves
This beautiful spot is where the Monks hid in the 1930s when the Mongolian Soviet government was attempting to kill all of them.
These are some of the stops that will be on your itinerary, but the true highlights will be all of the random, in-between things that happen. You'll probably sample the local fermented mare's milk. You may be able to try making traditional dumplings. You'll meet many people and be invited into their gers. You'll probably pass by some nomadic families who are building their ger from scratch — and you can help them out. The unplanned events are the best!
The Gobi Desert is a magical place, and although a lot of time will be spent in the van (around six hours every day), it's worth it when you arrive at your ger, in the middle of nowhere and are able to mingle with the nomadic people. Don't miss out on the Gobi!
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14 Chinggis Avenue, Sukhbaatar District 1
Ulaanbaatar 14251, Mongolia
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