Driven to extinction in their homeland in the 1960s, the Przewalski's horses survived in captivity before efforts began to re-introduce them to the arid desert and mountains along Mongolia's border with China.

Zoos organized the first transport to Mongolia of the strong, stocky beasts in 1992.

For the past decade, Prague Zoo has been the only one continuing that tradition and it holds the studbook of a species whose ancestors - unlike other free-roaming horses such as the wild mustangs of the United States - were never domesticated.

The zoo completed its seventh transport last week, releasing four mares born in captivity in the Czech Republic, Germany and Denmark in the Gobi desert. They will spend the next year in an enclosed area to acclimatize before being freed.

"All the mares are looking very well, they are not hobbling, they are calm, eating hay and trying to test the taste of the new grass," Prague Zoo veterinarian Roman Vodicka said after making observations a few days after the release.

Prague has released 27 horses in total and officials estimate around 190 are now back in the wild in the Gobi B park, where the most recent arrivals were sent.

(Reporting by Jiri Skacel; Writing by Jason Hovet)

The agency identified 950 citizens of 30 countries who have been overstaying in the country after conducting an inspection under the government’s order. Reportedly, the majority of the overstaying foreigners were citizens of China.

Statistics indicate that there were 23,737 foreigners from 122 countries with long-term residence permits in Mongolia as of January 2017. The report shows that Chinese citizens make up 30 percent of the total figure.

The most common violation among foreigners who entered Mongolia is overstaying past the length of their visa, accounting for 47.2 percent of all violations committed by foreigners, reports the Mongolian Immigration Agency. The next common violation has been identified as illegal employment or operating beyond their visa permit, taking up 27.7 percent.

Studies show that 54 percent of foreigners deported in the first half of 2017 are Chinese, 15.5 percent are North Korean, six percent are Vietnamese, 4.7 percent are Russian, and citizens of other countries take up the rest.

According to statistics, 313 foreigners of 25 countries were deported from Mongolia in the first half of 2016, and 188 foreigners of 18 countries were deported in the first half of 2015.

1 - week CBBs, a main monetary policy instrument of BoM, plays an important role on managing the reserves of the banks. This CBB rate represents BoM’s policy rate guides interbank money market. In July 2007, the CBB with stable rate and unlimited bidding was introduced with auctions to be held on every Wednesday. This really had attracted the banks’ interests providing the possibility for the banks to place their excess reserve in short term asset. There has been a substantial change in the way banks manage their reserves since then. For the favorable adjustment of CBB rate and loan principle along with the well balance of togrog and foreign exchange, 1 - week CBB has been held in a type of competing by rate since May 2005. The auction average rate is the targeted rate variables in +/-2 percent from the policy rate and it frames to make the interbank rate as the operational target in midterm.

Following the plan outline for building trilateral economic corridor, the tourism authorities have jointly set up the “Tea Road” international tourism alliance. Within the framework of “Tea Road” project, Chinese side set goals to send one million tourists to the tourist zone in Lake Baikal in 2018.

At the meeting, Ulaanbaatar Railway Company (UBTZ) informed that situating cross-border bullet train in the Ulaanbaatar-Erkhuu route for transporting one million Chinese tourists would be beneficial for reducing the amount of stops at Sukhbaatar and Naushki border stations. Accordingly, the bullet train will be able to transport 6-8 carts daily.

The officials noted that the implementation of “Tea Road” project will reduce transport loss of Ulaanbaatar Railway Company and increase tourism revenues starting from 2018.

Democratic Party candidate and former wrestler Khaltmaa Battulga was the top finisher, with 38 percent of the vote, and will face the Mongolian People’s Party’s Miyegombo Enkhbold in the July 9 election.

Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party candidate Sainkhuu Ganbaatar was eliminated by the narrowest of margins — 30.19 percent to Enkhbold’s 30.3 percent — prompting some complaints about possible vote tampering.

Total turnout stood at 68.27 percent, the national election commission said Tuesday.

While the nation of 3 million had been an oasis of democratic stability, its politics have grown increasingly fractious amid an economic crisis and graft accusations.

A huge drop in foreign investment and decline in commodities prices have particularly strained the economy, a situation not helped by a long dispute with mining giant Rio Tinto over its operations in the country.

The winner next month will become Mongolia’s fifth president since 1990 following the end of communism.

The outcome in the second round is uncertain because although the MPP and MPRP have a historical affiliation, voters appear to hold them responsible for the economic pain they are feeling, Citi Research said in an analysis.

That could mean that at least some MPRP voters break for Battulga, the report said. “Overall, we expect policy continuity,” it said.

Along with a pending trade deal with China, one key issue will be a $500 million bond repayment due in January 2018, part of a $5.5 billion International Monetary Fund-led bailout to stem its financial crisis.

Enkhbold’s party pledges to continue the IMF’s program, including higher taxes and spending cuts, while Ganbaatar has criticized the IMF.

Battulga campaigned on a “Mongolia First” policy, borrowing the language of President Donald Trump. He promised to be “a patriotic president” seeking “equal cooperation” with neighbors like China, which he has criticized in the past.

Battulga is a former government minister and president of the Mongolian Judo Association. He also owns Genco, one of Mongolia’s largest companies, whose businesses include hotels, media, banking, alcohol, horse meat and a Genghis Khan-themed complex.

The IMF has approved a three-year, $434 million loan for Mongolia as part of a broader $5.5 billion financing package. The bailout program focuses on:

Fiscal consolidation, which may require Mongolia to tighten monetary and fiscal policy
Recapitalization of financial institutions (read, Mongolia’s Banks Threaten Economic Crash)
Boosting the economy’s competitiveness and fostering diversification to create jobs and achieve more inclusive growth.

Currently, over 86% of Mongolian exports fall under minerals and metals (XME). While commodities do remain a backbone of the economy, the IMF sees Mongolia as also well positioned to develop its meat and dairy exports, as well as its already well-known cashmere sector.

Opportunity to diversify beyond mining

While Rio Tinto (RIO), Turquoise Hill (TRQ), Erdene Resource Development (ERDCF), and Xanadu Mines (XANAF) continue to generate revenues from their mining sector investments, consumer based companies may soon have a chance to account for a larger share of this Asian (AAXJ) (VPL) nation’s exports. With close to 60 million livestock and the IMF’s financial support, meat exporters such as Makhimpex JSC (MSE: MMX), Makh Market LLC, Mongol Eco Makh LLC, Green Grace Land LLC, Darkhan Meat Food LLC (HSH), and Khaan Khuns LLC, Aussie Meat Company, Erdmeat LLC, and Precom LLC may see brighter days ahead. China, Russia, and Vietnam currently count among the three biggest markets (in order) for Mongolian meat exports.

Within the dairy space, Suu JSC (MSE: SUU) also holds potential. The dairy processor, Mongolia’s first, is also a recipient of international funding from the IFC which is a part of the World Bank Group.

Mongolia is the second largest producer of cashmere after China (FXI), providing nearly 28% of the total global supply. From Mongolia’s cashmere sector, Gobi JSC (MSE: GOV) owns over 21%of the world’s cashmere processing capacity. 25.1% of the company trades on the Mongolian Stock Exchange. Tuul Cashmere (MSE: TUL), Buyan (BYN), Sun Shiro, are other notable cashmere producing corporations in Mongolia.