Mongolia promotes use of traditional script

ULAN BATOR, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia on Tuesday issued a decree to promote the use of the traditional Mongolian script.

"Official letters by president, speaker of the parliament, prime minister and cabinet members of government to officials of other countries in similar positions shall be written in traditional Mongolian script and will be translated to the language of that country or any of the official languages of the United Nations and be attached," said the decree.

The decree also mandates the use of traditional Mongolian script in official documents such as birth and marriage certificates, educational certificates and diplomas along with the Cyrillic alphabet.

The decree will enter into force on July 11.

The traditional Mongolian script is an alphabet used by Mongolia until 1946 when Cyrillic alphabet was introduced under the pressure of the Soviet Union. The majority of Mongolia's 2.7 million people don't know how to write and read it.

source: xinhua.net