Taiwan is trusted partner in helping Mongolia on ICT infrastructure: NCC chief

Mongolian business delegation is visiting Taiwan seeking collaborations in the field of ICT, livestock farming, and waste management

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A business delegation from Mongolia comprising 40 officials and professionals is visiting Taiwan to explore collaborations and business opportunities in the fields of information and communication technology (ICT), agriculture and livestock farming, as well as waste management.

Led by the newly-elected President of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Amartuvshin Otgondavaa, the team of 78 had a joint meeting with their Taiwanese counterparts on Thursday in Taipei, reviewing the status of bilateral agricultural and livestock trade, ICT and cybersecurity policies, as well as waste management in both countries. A three-hour business matchup and networking event followed the meeting.

The event was co-hosted by the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association and the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In the opening ceremony, chairperson of Taiwan's National Communications Commission, Chan Ting-i (詹婷怡) spoke of the 9-year-old MOU with Mongolia's Communications Regulatory Commission (CRC) in developing an information communication partnership. She said she was looking forward to a deepened collaboration between the two institutions in the era when the information technology and telecommunication regime is shifting and a cross-border, as well as cross-industry collaboration will be needed to catch up with the change.

Chan also explained why Taiwan is a trusted partner in developing ICT infrastructure: "Awareness of constructing a safe and trusted 5G communication network is mounting in the context of China's Huawei 5G security concerns, so a trusted partner does matter in their efforts to tap into the exponential growth of ICT business and to overcome the demand for a faster and a more stable 5G network."

"Taiwan has an edge in developing a safe and fast information communication and telecommunication network, and the country values data privacy and protection, which is evidenced by the passage of an act governing information communication security management last year," she added.

Chan said she was confident of the country's capability in safeguarding data security and is willing to share the know-how with the Mongolian partner in its digital transformation effort to become a "smart nation."

In addition to the partnership in the field of ICT, the delegation is also looking for expanded agricultural trade, including the nutritious sea buckthorn. President of Mongolian National Association of Fruits & Berries Nasanjargal Darjaa said at the event that he is hoping Taiwanese consumers will be able to enjoy more sea buckthorn products one day.

Taiwan imports mainly vegetarian oils from Mongolia and exports cereal/food products and wood products to the country.

According to data from the Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA, bilateral trade between Taiwan and Mongolia amounted to US$40.45 million in 2018, and exports from Taiwan increased by 154 percent from a year earlier.

The Mongolian delegation also visited the Smart City Summit & Expo, the largest of its kind in Asia, during the visit on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Journalists discuss how to forge closer China-Mongolia ties through radio

ULAN BATOR, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China and Mongolia can forge closer ties through more cooperation between their respective news media, said a director of a radio station in Mongolia.

A joint meeting of journalists and listeners of Chinese and Mongolian radio stations was held here Thursday to help deepen bilateral cooperation between the two countries and friendship between the two peoples.

Since its first edition in 2015, the joint meeting, which was co-organized by "Voice of the Steppe" radio station of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and "New Wave" FM 107.5 radio station of Mongolia, involved more than 70 journalists and relevant officials of over 10 media organizations as well as Mongolian listeners this time.

"Our 'Voice of the Steppe' radio station was established in 2013, with the aim to promote China's prosperity in neighboring Mongolia and boost friendship between the two peoples," Khiad Bayasgalan, director of the radio station, told Xinhua. "Media serves as an important bridge and link to help people from different countries to better understand."

Many joint interviews of the two countries' journalists have been organized by the Chinese radio station, particularly one in summer 2017 for the 70th anniversary of the autonomous region's establishment to help Mongolians better understand Chinese prosperity.

"Since 2017, I have become an active listener of China's 'Voice of the Steppe' radio station," said Gansukh Tsolmon, a journalist from the daily newspaper Unuudur, adding that he has known more about China's culture and traditions through it.

Also, the Chinese radio station organized a 10-day joint interview involving more than 20 journalists from both countries in summer 2018 under the theme "40 Years of Reform and Opening Up in China -- Belt and Road" focusing on China's achievements in fighting against desertification.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Bayasgalan said the radio station is planning to organize many activities to celebrate the anniversaries.

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S. Korea, Mongolia to push for elevating ties to strategic partnership

ULAANBAATAR, March 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Mongolia agreed Tuesday to push for elevating their diplomatic ties to a strategic partnership as next year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of their relationship.

The agreement was made during a meeting between South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaa Khurelsukh in Ulaanbaatar.

Lee embarked on an official three-day visit to Mongolia on Monday as part of his weeklong trip that will also take him to China.

South Korea and Mongolia established their diplomatic ties in 1990 and promoted them to a comprehensive partnership in 2011.

"Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the two nations setting up diplomatic ties. We hope the current comprehensive partnership could be promoted," Lee said.

He also expressed hope that the presidents of South Korea and Mongolia could visit each other's countries in an effort to strengthen cooperation.

The prime ministers also discussed ways to tackle air pollution and seek cooperation in health and consular services.

Lee appealed for Mongolia's cooperation in South Korea's efforts to push for a cross-border power grid system and railway linking projects under its New Northern Policy.

Mongolia is one of the key countries in South Korea's New Northern Policy, President Moon Jae-in's diplomatic policy of improving strategic ties with Russia, Mongolia and other northern countries.

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon (L) and his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaa Khurelsukh shake hands before a meeting in Ulaanbaatar on March 26, 2019. (Yonhap)

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Symposium held in Ulan Bator to discuss Chinese investment in Mongolia

ULAN BATOR, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A symposium about investment of enterprises based in China's Heilongjiang Province in Mongolia was held here Tuesday to discuss bilateral commercial prospects.

At the opening of the symposium, Cheng Zhiming, vice-governor of China's Heilongjiang Province noted that bilateral trade volume between China's Heilongjiang Province and Mongolia reached 148 million U.S. dollars in 2018, with an average annual growth of 40 percent over the past three years.

With China's Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia's Development Road Initiative being efficiently linked, the commercial ties and personnel exchanges between China's Heilongjiang Province and Mongolia will become increasingly close, Cheng said, adding that the cooperation opportunities will increase and the cooperation prospects will be broadened.

For his part, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy to Mongolia Song Xuejun said that enterprises from Heilongjiang Province have a good reputation in Mongolia, hoping they will continue to make great contributions to the friendly relations between China and Mongolia.

The symposium was hosted by China's Heilongjiang Chamber of Commerce in Mongolia. Representatives from more than a dozen of Chinese companies attended the meeting. Enditem

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Mongolia to join Earth Hour under theme of reducing plastic use

ULAN BATOR, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will again participate in this year's Earth Hour campaign under the theme of reducing plastic use, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Mongolia said Wednesday.

"Plastic waste is one of the most pressing environmental concerns facing the world. So, the country will join the upcoming annual campaign with activities raising public awareness on consequences of plastic waste," Nyamsuren Enkhbayar, spokesperson of the WWF-Mongolia, told Xinhua.

Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the WWF since 2007 and will see millions of people across the world switching off their lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 pm on a specific day towards the end of March to help fight climate change.

Earth Hour 2019 is scheduled for March 30, and Mongolia has participated in the annual campaign since the year of 2010.

Buildings surrounding central squares of the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator and several provinces such as Khovd, Uvs, Bayan-Ulgii, Dornod and Khentii will be in darkness for an hour, Enkhbayar said, urging people to switch off their lights too.

The Asian country has been focusing on reducing plastic use in recent years. It has announced to ban the use, sale, import and production of single-use plastic bags thinner than 0.035 mm across the country, which came into force on March 1.

It is estimated that more than 2 million tons of waste, including 500,000 tons of plastic waste, are produced in the country each year.

Out of the plastic waste, just less than 10 percent is recycled, according to the Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

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Asian Development Bank to Provide $18.7 Million for 15 MW of Solar Projects in Mongolia

The Asian Development Bank (ADB)) and Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP) have signed an agreement to provide an $18.7 million loan to develop 15 MW of solar power project in Mongolia.

The loan agreement has been signed with Sermsang Power Corporation Public Company Limited (SSP) and Tenuun Gerel Construction (TGC), under which they will build, operate, and maintain the solar projects.

The solar power project is located in the Khushig valley located in Tuv aimag (province) Sergelen soum (county). It will supply power to Mongolia’s central grid system which delivers power to over 80 percent of the country’s energy demand.

“This project uniquely incorporates climate-resilient technical solutions from the private sector to accommodate Mongolia’s cold and dry climate. The project also benefits from the transfer of operational knowledge and advanced technology from Japan and Thailand in developing and operating solar power plants,” said Michael Barrow, Director General of ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department.

The solar project is likely to generate 22.3 GWh of electricity annually and lower Mongolia’s carbon emissions by 26,400 tons per year. It will also help the government increase the share of renewable energy in the total installed capacity from 12 percent in 2017 to a targeted 20 percent by 2023 and 30 percent by 2030.

“For SSP, this project is not only an important milestone for investment in renewable power projects in Asia but also reflects our philosophy in developing ecologically sustainable projects,” said Varut Tummavaranukub, CEO of SSP.

LEAP was established in 2016 to finance ADB-supported infrastructure projects in Asia and the Pacific and fill financing gaps and increase access. The fund is supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and is managed by ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department.

In November 2018, ADB signed a loan agreement with the Government of Mongolia under which it agreed to provide $60.6 million for distributed renewable energy projects in the country.

The loan towards renewable energy was to develop a 41 MW distributed renewable energy system—a first-of-its-kind in Mongolia—using solar photovoltaic and wind energy with advanced battery storage technology and energy management systems.

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Mongolia launches mental health hotline

ULAN BATOR, March 26 (Xinhua) - Mongolia has launched a 24-hour hotline for mental health consultation, local media reported on Tuesday, citing the country's National Center for Mental Health.

"Our mental health specialists will operate the new hotline with the number of (+976) 1800-2000 in three shifts," Lkhagvasuren Nasantsengal, director general of the National Center for Mental Health said, noting that the service provides answers to questions about mental health or mental illness.

Specialists will provide consultation on and diagnosis of various mental health disorders, including schizophrenia, anxiety, phobias, screen addiction, insomnia and depression, Nasantsengal said.

In addition, helping people who suffer from mental health disorders will hopefully reduce the suicide rate in the country, Nasantsengal said.

According to official data, a total of 2,055 Mongolians committed suicide from 2012 to 2016, most of them male. Depression due to financial problems is one of the leading causes of suicide in the country. Enditem

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Mongolia to establish independent agency for water management: PM

ULAN BATOR, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia is working to establish an independent agency for water management, the country's Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh said Monday.

He made the statement during a meeting with water experts of the country, according to the government's press office.

"I have fully supported a proposal by water experts on establishing an agency which is in charge of the issues of the country's water," Khurelsukh said, adding that he has ordered relevant ministers to conduct research.

Mongolians' water consumption now lies at between 7 and 160 liters per day depending on where they live, which means that, compared with other countries, Mongolia ranks in the middle of the list of countries in the world by per capita water consumption, adequacy and hygiene of drinking water, N. Enkhbayar, an advisor to Khurelsukh, said on Thursday.

The Asian country boasts some 11,902 cubic meters of renewable internal freshwater resources per capita, according to data released by the World Bank in 2014.

Though the amount of water resources per capita in Mongolia looks abundant, the resources are unevenly distributed, with most rivers and lakes located in the northern mountainous regions of the landlocked country, while in other parts of the country, especially southern desert areas, underground sources account for 80 percent of total water consumption.

Around 30 percent of Mongolia's population has access to the water supply system. About 25 percent of the population receives water from the water transportation service, over 35 percent gets water from water supply points and less than 10 percent uses water from springs, rivers and snow water.

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69 girls sexually assaulted in Mongolia in first two months of 2019

ULAN BATOR, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 69 girls have been sexually assaulted in Mongolia in the first two months of 2019, the Mongolian Women's Federation (MWF) said Monday.

The statement came after reports were recently made public that an 8-year-old girl had been repeatedly raped by her biological father on a grazing ground.

"A total of 69 girls aged 6-17 have been affected by sexual assault across the country in the first two months of this year. The majority of the perpetrators of the sexual violence are people close to the victims, including their fathers, stepfathers, brothers and relatives," Batnasan Oyungerel, president of the MWF, told a press conference.

"The number of these types of crimes is likely to increase if relevant laws are not tightened," Oyungerel said, noting that more than 290 girls have suffered from sexual assault in the country over the past three years.

"This is the number recorded by police. Nobody knows how many other girls are now crying and suffering from sexual assault behind closed doors," she added.

Divorce and lack of adequate parental care are the main factors for girls to be sexually abused, she said, urging an improvement in the country's family laws related to divorce and parental responsibility.

According to Mongolian law, a man convicted of raping a girl under 14 years old will be punished by imprisonment of 12-20 years or a life sentence. In addition, a man who is found guilty of raping a girl aged 14-18 can be sentenced between two and eight years. Enditem

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Mongolia leaves benchmark interest rate unchanged at 11 pct to bolster economy

ULAN BATOR, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's central bank has decided to leave the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 11 percent, local media reported Saturday.

"The decision aims to bolster the economic growth and cope with the inflation target framework in the medium term," said Bayarsaikhan Bayardavaa, head of the bank's monetary policy council.

The central bank has set a goal to stabilize inflation around the target rate of 8 percent in the medium term, Bayardavaa said, adding that annual inflation was at around 6.9 percent in February.

In addition, Mongolia's central bank has maintained its forecast for economic growth to be at least 6.9 percent this year.

Foreign direct investment in the resource-rich country, an increase in coal exports, and activity in non-mining sectors will be the main drivers of the country's economic growth this year, according to experts of the central bank.

The landlocked Asian country's gross domestic product in 2018 expanded 6.9 percent year on year to reach 18.1 trillion Mongolian tugriks (6.8 billion U.S. dollars).

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Mongolia to hold major folk art festival to promote tourism

ULAN BATOR, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will hold a major folk art festival in its southern province of Dundgovi on Aug. 9-11 to attract more tourists by promoting traditional folk art, a local official said on Sunday.

"Under the auspices of the Mongolian Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports, our province is working to organize traditional folk art festival called 'The Sun Over the Placid World' at an open-air theater in Ikh Gazriin Chuluu, which is a granite rock mountain range in Gurvansaikhan district of the province," said Tsagaan-Uvgun Bumangerel, head of the province's department of education, culture and art.

The festival aims to promote Mongolian folk art internationally and boost the country's tourism sector, Bumangerel said.

A total of 3,000 traditional long song singers and players of the morin khuur also known as the horse-headed-fiddle, a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument, from Dundgovi are expected to attend the festival, according to the official.

Dundgovi is located in the south of the Asian country about 240 km from the capital city of Ulan Bator. The province is nicknamed "the land of songs and music" because many famous Mongolian singers come from the province.

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ADB finances Mongolia's first private sector project

ULAN BATOR, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Mongolian company Tenuun Gerel Construction LLC on Wednesday signed a loan agreement for 18.7 million U.S. dollars for a solar power plant project with a capacity of 15 megawatts.

"The ADB has provided financial assistance to private sector projects of many countries. The loan agreement for the solar project is the ADB's first co-financing with the Leading Asia's Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP) in Mongolia's renewable energy sector," Yolanda Fernandez Lommen, ADB country director for Mongolia, said at the signing ceremony.

The construction of the solar power plant called "Bukhug" began in May 2018 and was completed in December, according to Tenuun Gerel Construction.

"I am very happy that our company became the first Mongolian private company which received funding from the ADB," Sukhbaatar Odbaatar, director of the company, told Xinhua.

"Initially, our company built the plant with its own funding. Today, we replaced the money spent on the construction of the plant with the low interest loan from the ADB," Odbaatar said.

The solar power plant started supplying electricity to Mongolia's central grid system since the beginning of this year and it can generate 29.3 million kwh of electricity per year to the country's national power grid, Odbaatar said.

Mongolia currently has around 18 percent of its power generated from renewable energy, including solar and wind. It aims to make renewable energy use account for 20 percent by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030.

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Fewer than 3,800 Mongolian Saiga antelopes remain in Mongolia: WWF

ULAN BATOR, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Merely 3,800 Mongolian Saiga antelopes, a critically endangered species, existed in Mongolia at the end of 2018, down nearly 40 percent year on year, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Mongolia on Tuesday.

The decline is mainly due to drought-related food shortage, WWF-Mongolia Director Dorjgurkhem Batbold told Xinhua.

"The Saiga antelope population of Mongolia has been very unstable for many years. Several factors, including infectious diseases, harsh weather conditions and poaching, have negatively affected the growth of the population," said Batbold.

The species' population has suffered a roller coaster since 2001 when its number declined to only 750 following a summer drought and a harsh winter, he said.

Due to continuous efforts by the WWF-Mongolia and MAVA foundation, it had risen to 14,000 by 2016, he added. However, a combination of an outbreak of goat plague and the extreme wintry weather locally known as "dzud" in 2017 reduced the number to 5,000.

To help the species overcome harsh winters, experts from the WWF have been taking desperate emergency actions, including putting a ton of additional hay or 400 bundles in the animal's ranges over the past winter, according to Batbold.

In addition, the WWF-Mongolia started implementing an initiative called "GG-6" (Great Gobi's or Gobi's Gracious Six) since 2016 to sustain the Gobi's ecosystem using six iconic species, among which are the Mongolian Saiga antelopes, he said.

"Joint efforts are needed to protect endangered species," Batbold said, urging governments and international non-governmental organizations to protect the Saiga antelopes and others.

To prevent the extinction of the antelopes that currently live in western Mongolian provinces, including Govi-Altai, Khovd and Uvs, it is necessary to relocate them, according to the WWF-Mongolia.

This year, the WWF-Mongolia is planning to conduct studies on relocation within Mongolia, and more funding is required for the endeavor in the years ahead, said Batbold.

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Center in Mongolia encourages young people to volunteer

ULAN BATOR, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has launched a youth volunteer development center to encourage more young people involved in the country's social development.

"Youth participation is important to solve any problem facing the country," Sodnomtsog Sukh-Ochir, head of the Youth Development Department of the country's capital Ulan Bator, told a press conference on Tuesday.

The center aims to raise awareness among the public on the need to volunteer and how young people can play a role in solving problems facing the country, Sukh-Ochir added.

The center is first of its kind in the country to focus on all sectors of society, he said, adding that the door of this center will always be open to young people who are willing to take part in humanitarian efforts.

The center plans to hold activities directed at promoting public health, protecting the environment, promoting urban culture, and preventing natural disasters and accidents.

Mongolia has a young population with nearly one in three classified as between 15 and 34 years, according to the United Nations Development Programme, adding that a significant challenge facing this group is income generation.

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Drug-related crimes continue to rise in Mongolia

ULAN BATOR, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian police have arrested 88 people linked to 29 drug-related crimes in the first two months of this year, local media reported on Saturday, citing the country's National Police Agency (NPA).

"Since 2015, Mongolia has become one of the user countries of drugs. The number of drug-related crimes has continued to increase," said Munkhtur Munkhshur, spokesperson of the NPA.

"A total of 29 drug-related crimes have been registered in Mongolia in the first two months of 2019," Munkhshur said, noting that the figure is almost same to the number of this type of crimes registered in the first half of 2018.

A lack of knowledge about drugs, curiosity, attempting to make easy money and weak law are the main factors for the growth of drug-related crimes, she said.

According to Mongolian law, the person who is found guilty of trafficking drugs will be punished by imprisonment of at least two years. Life sentence and death penalty do not exist in the Mongolian drug law. Enditem

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Mongolia's exports rise significantly in first two months of 2019

ULAN BATOR, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's exports reached 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in the first two months of this year, up 30.4 percent from the same period last year, official data showed Wednesday.

Mineral and textile accounted for over 95 percent of the total exports, according to data from the National Statistical Office of Mongolia.

Mongolia, a landlocked country that heavily relies on mining, is trying to diversify its exports to its trading partners.

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Mongolia's capital sees rise in PM2.5 density in February

ULAN BATOR, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator witnessed a year-on-year increase in the density of hazardous fine particle matter PM2.5 in February, an expert of the National Statistics Office said Thursday.

The average density of PM2.5 in the city rose to 120 micrograms per cubic meter last month, up 15 percent compared with the same period last year, Burenduuren Uyanga told Xinhua.

In February, the level of PM10 in the Mongolian capital stood at 194 micrograms per cubic meter, a year-on-year increase of 24.4 percent, Uyanga said.

She added that the average level of sulfur dioxide went up 33.5 percent while nitrogen dioxide went down 27.4 percent year on year.

Air pollution is one of the most pressing issues in Ulan Bator, which is home to around half of the country's 3.2-million population.

More than 800,000 residents, half of Ulan Bator's population, live in ger districts. They burn raw coal and other flammable materials to keep warm and cook meals during the six-month-long winter season.

It is estimated that 80 percent of air pollution in the city is caused by ger stoves, according to the ministry of environment and tourism of Mongolia.

Since the early 2000s, the Mongolian government has adopted a number of measures in cooperation with international organizations, aiming to reduce air pollution in Ulan Bator. However, the city has not seen a significant improvement in air quality.

The Mongolian government has already decided to impose a ban on the burning of raw coal for domestic use in Ulan Bator beginning on May 15, 2019, in an effort to reduce air pollution.

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Toxic air tears apart families in Mongolia

Bornuur (Mongolia) (AFP)

In the world's coldest capital, many burn coal and plastic just to survive temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees -- but warmth comes at a price: deadly pollution makes Ulaanbataar's air too toxic for children to breathe, leaving parents little choice but to evacuate them to the countryside.

This exodus is a stark warning of the future for urban areas in much of Asia, where scenes of citizens in anti-pollution masks against a backdrop of brown skies are becoming routine, rather than apocalyptic.

Ulaanbaatar is one of the most polluted cities on the planet, alongside New Delhi, Dhaka, Kabul, and Beijing. It regularly exceeds World Health Organisation recommendations for air quality even as experts warn of disastrous consequences, particularly for children, including stunted development, chronic illness, and in some cases death.

Erdene-Bat Naranchimeg watched helplessly as her daughter Amina battled illness virtually from birth, her immune system handicapped by the smog-choked air in Mongolia's capital.

"We would constantly be in and out of the hospital," Naranchimeg told AFP, adding that Amina contracted pneumonia twice at the age of two, requiring several rounds of antibiotics.

This is not a unique case in a city where winter temperatures plunge towards uninhabitable, particularly in the districts that rural workers moved to in search of a better life.

Here row upon row of the traditional tents -- known as gers -- are warmed by coal, or any other flammable material available. The resulting thick black smoke shoots out in plumes, blanketing surrounding areas in a film of smog that makes visibility so poor it can be hard to see even a few metres ahead.

Hospitals are packed and young children are vulnerable, common colds can quickly escalate into life-threatening illness.

- Birth defects -

The situation was so bad that doctors told Naranchimeg the only solution was to send her little girl to the clean air of the countryside.

Now aged five, Amina is thriving. She lives with her grandparents in Bornuur Sum, a village 135 kilometres away from the capital.

"She hasn't been sick since she started living here," said Naranchimeg, who makes the three-hour round trip to see Amina every week.

"It was very difficult in the first few months," she said. "We used to cry when we talked on the phone."

But like many parents in Ulaanbaatar, she felt the move was the only way to protect her child.

The levels of PM2.5—tiny and harmful particles—in Ulaanbaatar reached 3,320 in January, 133 times what the World Health Organisation (WHO) considers safe.

The effects are terrible for adults but children are even more at risk, in part because they breathe faster, taking in more air and pollutants.

As they are smaller, children are also closer to the ground, where some pollutants concentrate, and their still-developing lungs, brains, and other key organs are more vulnerable to damage.

Effects to prolonged exposure range from persistent infections and asthma to slowed lung and brain development.

The risks apply in utero, too, because gases and fine particles can enter a mother's bloodstream and placenta, causing miscarriage, birth defects and low birth weights, which can also affect a child for the rest of their lives.

Researchers are now investigating whether pollution, like exposure to tobacco smoke, has health effects that could even be passed down to the next generation.

'Terribly afraid'

Buyan-Ulzii Badamkhand and her husband need to stay in capital for work, but they have decided to send their two-year-old son Temuulen more than 1,000 kilometres away.

The 35-year-old mother-of-three struggled with the decision, even moving from one ger district to another in the hope her son's health would improve.

But successive bouts of illness, including bronchitis that lasted a whole year, finally convinced her to send Temuulen to his grandparents.

Hours after he arrived, she called her mother-in-law to discuss her son's medicines.

"But my mother-in-law asked me 'does he still need medicine? He isn't coughing anymore," she said.

"I tell myself that it doesn't matter that I miss him and who raises him, as long as he is healthy, I am content."

Respiratory problems are the most obvious effect of air pollution, but research suggests dirty air can also put children at greater risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.

And the WHO links it to leukaemia and behavioural disorders.

When air pollution peaks in winter, Ulaanbaatar's playgrounds empty and those who are able to are increasingly travelling abroad to wait out the smog.

In desperation, Luvsangombo Chinchuluun, a civil society activist, borrowed money to take her granddaughter to Thailand for all of January.

"We can't let her play outside (in Ulaanbaatar) because of the air pollution, so we decided to leave," she said.

The persistent smog has caused tensions in the city, with those living in wealthier areas blaming the ger residents for the pollution and even calling for the tent districts to be cleared.

But the ger residents say coal is all they can afford.

"People come to the capital because they need sustainable income," said Dorjdagva Adiyasuren, a 54-year-old mother of six.

"It's not their fault," she added.

In a bid to tackle the problem, the local government banned domestic migration in 2017, and a ban on burning coal comes into force from May.

But it is unclear whether the moves will be enough to make a difference.

For Naranchimeg, the problems are serious enough to make her consider whether she wants more children.

She explained: "Now, I am terribly afraid of to give birth again. It is risky to carry a child and what will happen to the child after it is born in this amount of pollution?"

Source:AFP

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Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of issuers including Government of Mongolia

Singapore, March 12, 2019 -- This publication is for information only, and does not announce a rating action.

Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") reviews all of its ratings periodically in accordance with regulations -- either annually or, in the case of governments and certain EU-based supranational organisations, semi-annually. This periodic review is unrelated to the requirement to specify calendar dates on which EU and certain other sovereign and sub-sovereign rating actions may take place.

Moody's conducts these periodic reviews through portfolio reviews in which Moody's reassesses the appropriateness of each outstanding rating in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. Since 1st January 2019, Moody's issues a press release following each periodic review announcing its completion.

Moody's has now completed the periodic review of a group of issuers that includes Mongolia and may include related ratings. The review did not involve a rating committee, and this publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future; credit ratings and/or outlook status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

The credit profile of Mongolia (issuer rating B3) incorporates its "Low(+)" economic strength, supported by strong growth potential balanced by a small and narrowly diversified economy; its "Low(-)" institutional strength, which take into consideration reform progress against an ongoing program with the IMF, as well as the credibility and effectiveness of its monetary and fiscal policies; "Very Low(-)" fiscal strength, reflecting a high debt burden, weak debt affordability, and a reliance on foreign currency denominated debt; and a "High (-)" susceptibility to event risk, driven by external vulnerabilities.

This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodology used for this review was Sovereign Bond Ratings published in November 2018. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Anushka Shah
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Sovereign Risk Group
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077

Marie Diron
MD - Sovereign Risk
Sovereign Risk Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077

Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077

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Number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Mongolia reaches 270

ULAN BATOR, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The total number of HIV carriers and AIDS patients in Mongolia has reached 270 after two new HIV cases were registered in the country's capital here last month, the National Statistics Office said Tuesday.

Almost 99 percent of the infections were sexually transmitted, according to a report issued by the office.

More than half of the HIV-infected are people between 20 and 44 years old.

The first case of HIV infection in Mongolia was recorded in 1992.

In the first two months of 2019, there were a total of 6,600 cases of infectious diseases reported across the country, up by 9.8 percent year on year, the report said.

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Violence claims 348 lives in Mongolia so far this year

ULAN BATOR, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 348 people have died in Mongolia in the first two months of this year in violent crimes, official data from the country's National Statistical Office showed Tuesday.

The figure is up 22.1 percent from the same period last year, according to the office.

Most of the offenders were drunk while committing homicides, it said.

In addition, 1,500 people were injured in crimes across the country in the first two months of 2019, up 4.7 percent from the same period last year.

A total of 7,400 criminal cases were recorded across the country during this period, representing a year-on-year increase of 0.9 percent.

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MONGOLIA BENEFITS FROM NEW METHODOLOGY TO ANALYZE JUDICIAL DECISIONS

While years of economic development have propelled Mongolia forward in wealth and investment, its limited experience with the market economy - counting only 30 years after transitioning from a centralized communist model -has prevented the country from fully capitalizing gains and sustaining growth. One of the key obstacles identified is the lack of preparation of the judiciary to handle commercial law cases.

Since 2012, IDLO, in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, has been working to train the Judicial General Council and Mongolian judges to this end. To ensure predictability and to better inform capacity development needs, IDLO supported the design and piloting of a new methodology for analyzing judicial decisions, with the aim of enhancing the quality and uniformity of decisions applied around commercial law.

While the practice of analyzing judicial decisions is not new in Mongolia, this pilot built on established work to introduce fresh practices. “The IDLO-supported methodology provided for a more comprehensive review that was user-friendly and made analysis easier,” commented Justice Tungalag Dagvadorj, Member of the Judicial Professional Committee, Head of the Mediators' Council in the Judicial General Council and former Supreme Court Justice.

The results of the application of the methodology were compiled in a report and included recommendations for judges. In particular, the analysis revealed the need to bolster drafting skills among Mongolian judges, as judicial decisions don’t always meet the requirements. Instead of reading like a transcript of a conversation between the claimant and the respondent, judicial decisions should read like a narrative and be comprehensible to all, including to those without a legal background. Decisions should follow a clear logical thread: lay out an assessment of the evidence, provide proof of the claim and support a rationale and justification behind the decision taken. 

The report was shared with judges across Mongolia, a move welcomed by Justice Tungalag. Furthermore, she suggested, “We need to include the mistakes that judges made in drafting the decision into the training, so that they can learn about the procedural mistakes and benefit more from the report. Usually, judges in the training work on fictional cases. If they work on cases where decisions were brought and analyzed - with proper measures ensuring confidentiality - and explain to them what needs to be done in the resolution of the cases, it will be more productive for the judges.”

In addition to identifying areas for capacity development, the new methodology for analysis reaffirmed that the legal environment for resolving commercial disputes in the country is strong. As commercial laws are regulated by the civil code in Mongolia, it creates an opportunity for the country to develop stand-alone legislation on commercial law. If adopted, it would mark a significant step forward in terms of the country’s application of international laws and conventions - a development made even more promising given Mongolia’s historically quick integration of international best practices, as exemplified by the process of mediation becoming a norm in civil cases in recent years.

“Judicial decisions have improved dramatically compared to my previous years working as a judge,” remarked Justice Tungalag, highlighting the strides made in the country. “It’s the result of the investment courts and the Judicial General Council are receiving from organizations like IDLO.” 

With this foundation, bolstering the quality of judicial decisions can pave the way for even more opportunity in the country, including for businesses, adding a greater purpose to the work on analysis. 

Speaking about her determination for the future of judicial analysis, Justice Tungalag remarked, “We want to see the fruits of our work.” Going forward, efforts will be focused on mainstreaming the methodology and supporting its sustainability. 

Source:International Development law organization

www.idlo.int

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Mongolian rescuers retrieve bodies of four missing miners

ULAN BATOR, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The bodies of the four miners who went missing after a gold mine collapsed in Mongolia's central province of Tuv in late February have been retrieved, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Saturday.

The four miners went missing after the accident happened at the open-pit gold mine run by the company Eco Altan Zaamar in Zaamar soum of the province on Feb. 28.

The last body was pulled out from the mine, which is around 80 meters deep and 100 meters wide, on Saturday morning, NEMA said, adding that more than 100 people, including NEMA rescuers, were involved in the search for the miners.

The cause of the accident is still unknown. Enditem

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Spring Golden Eagle Festival opens in Mongolia to promote tourism

ULAN BATOR, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's annual spring eagle festival kicked off near the capital city of Ulan Bator on Sunday, which is part of the country's efforts to attract tourists.

The event called "Spring Golden Eagle Festival" was co-organized by the Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association and others with the aim of boosting tourism by promoting the tradition of hunting with eagles.

"The festival is part of our efforts to attract more domestic and foreign tourists. I am very happy that the number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting the festival has been increasing year after year," Tsegmid Tsengel, state secretary at the Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism, said at the opening ceremony of the festival.

A total of 20 eagle hunters aged 18-77 from Bayan-Ulgii Province are competing in the 12th edition of the two-day festival, to catch fake animals, such as foxes and hares, with specially trained golden eagles, showing off the skills of both the birds and their trainers.

Previously, the competition used live animals to test the eagles' skills, but at the request of animal rights activists, fake animals began to be used instead in recent years, according to the organizers.

Eagle hunters also will compete in calling their eagles at the top of the mountain, and the quickest to recognize its owner and sit on its owner's forearm will be declared the winner.

Hunting with eagles is a tradition on the Eurasian Steppe. Mongolia is said to be one of a few countries that keeps the thousand-year-old tradition alive.

The Golden Eagle Festival is held twice a year in spring and autumn in Mongolia. The autumn festival is held in Bayan-Ulgii Province.

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Russian influence in Mongolia is declining

Russia—once Mongolia’s principal ally—now faces stiff competition in its the landlocked country.

English is gradually replacing Russian as the most common foreign language spoken in Mongolia, as Western corporations control increasingly large segments of the Mongolian mining industry. The mineral sector is the most essential part of the Mongolian economy. The former Soviet satellite state has approximately ten percent world’s known coal reserves.

Two companies dominate the Mongolian mining industry—Oyu Tolgoi and Tavan Tolgoi. Oyu Tolgoi, two-thirds of which is owned by Canadian and British-Australian firms, is the dominant player in the Mongolian mining sector. Despite its poor environmental record, the Canadian mining giant Rio Tinto is increasingly influential within Mongolia. Following a 2013 disagreement between the company and the Mongolian government, Ulaanbaatar was forced to fire Tserenbat Sedvachig, the executive director of Erdenes Oyu Tolgoi, the state-owned company that controls the remaining third of Oyu Tolgoi.

The second major corporation in the Mongolian mining industry is the state-owned Tavan Tolgoi. Mongolian lawmakers recently approved a plan to sell up to thirty percent of the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine, with the government officials expressing their hopes that Rio Tinto will have to maintain a level of “working cooperation” with the Mongolian mining giant.

Mining accounts for approximately one-third of Mongolia’s GDP. Mineral commodities comprise a little over eighty-nine percent of the country’s total exports. Although Western corporations like Rio Tinto maintain a strong level of influence over the country’s economy, China imports the majority of Mongolian exports. In contrast, Russia’s involvement in the Mongolian economy plummeted in the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse.

By the 1990s, Mongolian trade with Russia declined by around eighty percent, as China’s diplomatic relationship with and economic influence over Mongolia increased. In recent years, however, Russia has sought to rebuild its ties with Mongolia to enhance its standing as a regional power. The Russian government wrote off ninety-eight percent of Mongolia’s state debt, and an agreement was signed to build an oil pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia.

The Mongolian public retains a certain amount of nostalgia for Russia, and a recent flight of Western investment has reinforced such sentiments. During the Soviet era, Mongolia was considered the USSR’s unofficial 16th republic, with most people in the country being able to speak and understand Russian.

Today, the Russian language is far less popular with Mongolians, especially among the youth. Furthermore, even though the Cyrillic alphabet is the country’s official alphabet, young Mongolians increasingly use the Latin alphabet on their phones and social media. Nearly half of all comments made by young Mongolian Facebook users are written in the Latin alphabet, with the remaining portion being in Cyrillic. Going forward, Ulaanbaatar may make an effort to standardize the use of the Latin alphabet, which has been the trend in many former Soviet republics or Soviet aligned-states that used the Cyrillic script in an official capacity.

Russia is not only losing economic influence in Mongolia, but it is also losing cultural influence. English has replaced Russian as the most common foreign language used by many young Mongolians. This adoption is fueled by both migration and the desire to integrate further into the global economy. Even though a significant number of Mongolian schools and universities continue to teach Russian to their students, the presence of Russian culture in the country will continue to decline.

Source:globalsecurityreview.com

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Turkish aid agency gives aid, boosts ties in Mongolia

By Tugrul Cam

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia

Turkey's state-run aid agency has carried out over 600 projects in Mongolia in numerous areas, including education, health, infrastructure, and cultural cooperation, according to officials of the agency.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) started its work in Mongolia, the Turks’ ancestral homeland, in 1994, two years before Turkey opened an embassy in the country.

Kamil Kolabas, an advisor to TIKA’s leadership, said supporting students and education in the countries where TIKA operates is vital, through projects such as dormitory and sports complex for female students set to open soon.

TIKA has also carried out aid projects for the Dukha, a Turkic herder people whose language and culture are at risk of disappearing, with their numbers dwindling to only 800.

Braving cold and forests to carry 10 tons of food over 400 kilometers (249 miles), the agency delivered humanitarian aid to 50 rural households last week, also providing them with 20 brood reindeer, which constitute their main livelihood.

“We’re working to help the Dukha language survive. We’re also working on tourism projects for Dukha Turks to boost their income,” said Kolabas. “We place special importance on Dukha Turks.”

Turkey and Mongolia are also planning to boost cultural ties by taking care of shared cultural remains such as the eighth-century Orkhon inscriptions, the oldest written sources of Turkic history.

TIKA country coordinator Emrah Ustaomer said they are also working on a museum to house the Tonyukuk inscriptions, also from the eighth century, to open sometime this year.

The agency is also renovating old mosques and building new cultural centers for Mongolia’s Muslim Kazakh population.

Ustaomer said the Mongolian people are grateful for TIKA’s work in the country.

Established in 1992, Turkey's government-run aid agency is responsible for implementing the country's developmental cooperation policies overseas.

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