Feature: Joint venture sets model for China-Russia cooperation in energy field www.news.xinhuanet.com

MOSCOW, July 3 (Xinhua) -- On the vast east European plain 1,200 km east of Moscow, lines of pumping machines stand on the green grassland. It is the location of Udmurtia Petroleum Corp (UDM), an energy joint venture between Russia and China.

The UDM was bought out by China Petroleum and Chemical Corp., also known as Sinopec, and Russian oil giant Rosneft in August 2006.
Rosneft took a 51 percent stake and Sinopec 49 percent in the UDM, which is China's first and only oil field project in production in Russia.
Located in Udmurtia, a republic in western Russia, the UDM is the republic's largest oil corporation, with 32 oil fields and a daily production capacity of 17,000 tons.
In the UDM building, many awards hang on the wall. Wang Jun, general manager of Sinopec's Russian unit, said that since Sinopec became the UDM's shareholder a decade ago, the UDM has increased production by 7.7 percent and its reserves have gone up 9.5 percent.
In 2016, the UDM paid 843 million U.S. dollars in tax to the republic's government, accounting for 9.6 percent of its total tax revenue. The company ranks the first among the republic's taxpayers, Wang said.
The UDM's average annual profit has been more than 450 million dollars. By the end of 2016, the UDM's net profit totaled 4.877 billion dollars. This year, the company has discovered two new oil fields totaling 800,000 metric tons of reserves in Udmurtia.
The implementation of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the stability of Russia's domestic political situation and economic policies provide the joint venture with security and guarantee, Wang added.
The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes.
The UDM's general manager, Topal Andrey Yurievich, told Xinhua that the participation of Sinopec has optimized the administration of the joint venture and increased production efficiency.
According to Wang, Sinopec's investment in the UDM is like China marrying a daughter to Russia. How to adapt to the new family and live a good life depends on the good intention and cooperation of the two "original families."
Yurievich said the cooperative relationship between Chinese and Russian companies in the UDM is like a pair of chopsticks. The two chopsticks need to work together to catch food, as one chopstick will never work.
The China-Russia joint venture is regarded as a business success, and also a responsible player in shouldering social responsibilities.
It set up a foundation and spent 7.77 million dollars on charity between 2012 and 2016, including funds on the establishment of kindergartens, primary schools and outdoor parks for children, and for organizing art and cultural festivals. The company also helped build roads for local communities.
When asked to comment on the UDM, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui said it has not only brought profits to both companies and provided experiences for bilateral pragmatic cooperation in the future, but has also enriched the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.
The success has demonstrated the broad prospects of China-Russia cooperation in the energy field, which should be strengthened and enlarged by the two sides, Li said.

IGF releases Mining Policy Framework Assessment: Mongolia www.gogo.mn

The Government of Mongolia sees its minerals sector as critical to national plans for sustainable development, according to a new IGF Mining Policy Framework (MPF) Assessment.

“Mongolia is in the midst of a fiscal crisis and seeks to expand responsible development of its minerals sector in order to generate much-needed revenues,” said Kristi Disney Bruckner, a member of IGF’s assessment team for Mongolia.

“We were encouraged to see that, despite this crisis, leaders of Mongolia’s Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry remain committed to developing and implementing a legal framework for the minerals sector that will promote long-term sustainable development.”

The ministry is currently revising key areas of its legal framework for the mining industry, including the new Law on Mining. The Government of Mongolia invited the IGF to perform an MPF Assessment in order to help identify gaps and ensure that the law reflects international best practices, with a focus on achieving sustainable development objectives. More information—including the draft Law on Mining—is available on the ministry’s website.

Over the past quarter century, Mongolia has experienced increased foreign direct investment in extractive industries. But economic growth has slowed significantly in recent years. The government is working to stimulate economic growth while ensuring that it meets its commitments to national and international sustainability goals, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Mongolia’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. While the country takes a multi-sectorial approach for economic growth, including through its vast agricultural and service sectors, the minerals sector remains a key focus of the government’s growth strategy and is a major contributor to Mongolia’s GDP.

The MPF Assessment reviewed the mining laws and policies of Mongolia and the country’s capacity to implement the IGF’s flagship MPF. It involved extensive desk-based research and a 12-day field visit to Mongolia in which the assessment team visited large- and small-scale mine sites and met with numerous stakeholders from government, civil society, international organizations and the private sector. It was conducted by Sustainable Development Strategies Group and the Ulaanbaatar-based Sustainable Development Research Centre between August 2016 and February 2017.

During the assessment, the Government of Mongolia invited the IGF to facilitate a series of capacity-building workshops focused on issues related to transfer pricing and beneficial ownership, socioeconomic benefit optimization and mine closure. The workshops, attended by over 80 Mongolian participants from national and subnational government, industry and civil society sectors, were held in March 2017 and featured leading international and Mongolian experts and institutions.

“We are grateful to the IGF for this assessment and the excellent capacity building workshops, which have helped us develop practical ways to address the gaps in our framework,” Minister of Mining Ts. Dashdorj said.

“We look forward to continuing our engagement in the IGF and to participating in the Annual General Meeting this October. Our partnership with the IGF helps us ensure that we are governing our minerals sector in a responsible and innovative manner that meets the needs of both current and future generations.”

The assessment team identified several major strengths of Mongolia’s mining sector in its report. The sector is led by many well-trained and highly competent professionals, in both private and public entities. The recently approved Model Agreement on Issues of Environmental Protection, Mine Exploitation, and Infrastructure Development in Relation to Mine Site Development and Jobs Creation serves as a model for agreements between mining companies and local administrative bodies to promote integration of benefits of mining into aimag (province) and soum (district) levels.

The increasingly frequent use of multistakeholder councils at the aimag and soum levels are viewed favourably by stakeholders as mechanisms to discuss and manage concerns related to the minerals sector. The level of open and transparent data on tax and royalty flows, largely a result of Mongolia’s decade of experience implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, was also cited as a major strength in Mongolia. Furthermore, the report commends the efforts of the Government of Mongolia to include a legal framework for artisanal and small-scale mining in its mining law, with implementation support from the Swiss Sustainable Artisanal Mining Project and others.

IGF’s assessment team also identified a number of gaps in Mongolia’s mining law and policy framework.

“The government is well aware of many challenges it faces, and seems committed to taking action to fill the gaps in its existing laws and regulations,” said Luke Danielson, co-author of the IGF’s Mongolia Assessment Report. “It is already working to draft a new Law on Mining, which regulates mine closure and other important aspects of the mining industry. Government officials are actively engaging in capacity building with a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations.”

One of the gaps the team identified in its report was a lack of management of large-volume and high-risk mine wastes, including, but not limited to, their impact on water resources. The report also identifies a lack of government capacity to audit complex tax returns and to deal with transfer pricing, beneficial ownership and related issues. Mongolia also lacks clear criteria regarding which deposits should be classified as “mineral deposits of strategic importance.” The team also identified a lack of clarity and transparency regarding how revenue is distributed to and utilized at the aimag and soum levels.

Mongolia’s participation in the IGF contributes to the implementation of the country’s comprehensive and ambitious State Minerals Policy 2014–2025. The State Minerals Policy lays out a vision for responsible mining, with the goal of providing sufficient social and economic benefits from mining, while also achieving Mongolia’s national plans to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

“We see great promise in Mongolia,” Bruckner said. “The Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry’s commitment to sustainable development of the minerals sector sets a great example throughout Asia, while also attracting responsible investors who share this vision. The ministry’s work to develop a comprehensive system for planning and regulating mine closure and rehabilitation shows concrete and practical progress towards addressing the gaps identified in the IGF Assessment. The IGF is extremely pleased by the fruitful partnership it has developed with the Government of Mongolia and looks forward to ongoing collaboration.”

BRIEF-Moody's changes outlook on Mongolia banking system to stable www.reuters.com

Moody's:

High-level TPP meeting to be held in Japan www3.nhk.or.jp

A high-level meeting on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal will take place in Japan later this month.

Deutsche Bank refuses Democrats' demand to give up Trump’s financial details www.rt.com

Germany's biggest bank has rejected a request by US House Democrats to provide details of President Donald Trump's finances. Deutsche Bank is citing privacy laws.

Khuvsgul Province begins manufacturing milk powder www.theubpost.mn

Ikh Uul soum in Khuvsgul Province opened Mongolia’s first mobile factory for milk powder on June 24 through a campaign for meat and milk production, launched in January 2017 by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry.

Exclusive: Dropbox seeks to hire IPO underwriters - sources www.reuters.com

Data-sharing business Dropbox Inc is seeking to hire underwriters for an initial public offering that could come later this year, which would make it the biggest U.S. technology company to go public since Snap Inc (SNAP.N), people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Mongolia exports 4000 tons of meat to Iran www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Mongolia has started exporting meat to Iran in the frames of ‘Meat and Milk Campaign I’.

Top 3 coal countries produced 6% more coal from January to May www.mining.com

Just when you thought coal was out, the fossil fuel appears to be back on the burner.

Relationship With China Looms Large in Mongolian Election www.theepochtimes.com

After an inconclusive vote in Mongolia’s June 26 presidential election, candidates from the north Asian country’s two most prominent political parties will face off in a second round on July 7.

Mongolia’s relationship with China, particularly regarding its economy, has been a major topic in the election. Ninety percent of Mongolia’s exports go to its southern neighbor, with the main export products being coal and minerals including gold and copper. China wants to invest in infrastructure to mine and move these exports quicker, but can only do so if allowed by the Mongolian government.

Battulga Khaltmaa, candidate for the conservative-leaning Democratic Party and former transport minister, has expressed concern about growing Chinese economic involvement in Mongolia.

In an emailed statement to Reuters, Battulga said that while China “must be a great partner of [Mongolia]”, “rail and transportation for any country is both a national security and an economic issue”.

When resources run out, “there will definitely be conflict between the Mongolians and the Chinese”, he said in a 2014 interview.

Enkhbold Miyegombo of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party is less suspicious of Chinese motives for investment.

The People’s Party was once known as the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) and served as the Soviet-backed communist regime in Mongolia from the 1920s to the end of the Cold War. The MPRP of today split off from the People’s Party and was represented in the initial vote by candidate Ganbaatar Sainkhuu.

According to one party official in a Reuters interview, he is “open to foreign investment from all countries, that of course includes investment from China”.

The official also said that “the reality for today is we have the supply, China has the demand,” but added that Mongolia needed to diversify and “reduce inappropriate dependence” on one country.

There have been several political conflicts between the two countries in recent years. About a week after the exiled Tibetan religious leader, the Dalai Lama, visited Mongolia in 2016, China reportedly closed an important border crossing that left hundreds of truck drivers stuck at the border for hours and even days.

Al Jazeera reported that a loan deal Mongolia was negotiating with China to ease its financial situation had been cancelled by China, also because of the Dalai Lama’s visit. Mongolia is “paying a very heavy economic price for putting religious freedom ahead of economic necessity,” Al Jazeera reported.

A 2014 agreement with China’s Shenhua Group was blocked by the Mongolian parliament the following year because of disputes about the width of the track. According to a Business News Europe report, then-transport minister Battulga argued that “tanks can easily penetrate into Mongolia in no time if we build a railway with a [narrower] gauge track, the same used in China.”

In the initial vote on June 26, Battulga won 38.1 percent, while the People’s Party’s Enkhbold won 30.3 percent. Ganbaatar Sainkhuu of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party gained 30.2 percent.