1 PRIME MINISTER OYUN-ERDENE VISITS EGIIN GOL HYDROPOWER PLANT PROJECT SITE WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/30      2 ‘I FELT CAUGHT BETWEEN CULTURES’: MONGOLIAN MUSICIAN ENJI ON HER BEGUILING, BORDER-CROSSING MUSIC WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM PUBLISHED:2025/04/30      3 POWER OF SIBERIA 2: ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY OR GEOPOLITICAL RISK FOR MONGOLIA? WWW.THEDIPLOMAT.COM PUBLISHED:2025/04/29      4 UNITED AIRLINES TO LAUNCH FLIGHTS TO MONGOLIA IN MAY WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/29      5 SIGNATURE OF OIL SALES AGREEMENT FOR BLOCK XX PRODUCTION WWW.RESEARCH-TREE.COM  PUBLISHED:2025/04/29      6 MONGOLIA ISSUES E-VISAS TO 11,575 FOREIGNERS IN Q1 WWW.XINHUANET.COM PUBLISHED:2025/04/29      7 KOREA AN IDEAL PARTNER TO HELP MONGOLIA GROW, SEOUL'S ENVOY SAYS WWW.KOREAJOONGANGDAILY.JOINS.COM  PUBLISHED:2025/04/29      8 MONGOLIA TO HOST THE 30TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF ASIA SECURITIES FORUM WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/29      9 BAGAKHANGAI-KHUSHIG VALLEY RAILWAY PROJECT LAUNCHES WWW.UBPOST.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/29      10 THE MONGOLIAN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND FDI: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITY WWW.MELVILLEDALAI.COM  PUBLISHED:2025/04/28      849 ТЭРБУМЫН ӨРТӨГТЭЙ "ГАШУУНСУХАЙТ-ГАНЦМОД" БООМТЫН ТЭЗҮ-Д ТУРШЛАГАГҮЙ, МОНГОЛ 2 КОМПАНИ ҮНИЙН САНАЛ ИРҮҮЛЭВ WWW.EGUUR.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/30     ХУУЛЬ БУСААР АШИГЛАЖ БАЙСАН "БОГД УУЛ" СУВИЛЛЫГ НИЙСЛЭЛ ӨМЧЛӨЛДӨӨ БУЦААВ WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/30     МЕТРО БАРИХ ТӨСЛИЙГ ГҮЙЦЭТГЭХЭЭР САНАЛАА ӨГСӨН МОНГОЛЫН ГУРВАН КОМПАНИ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/30     "UPC RENEWABLES" КОМПАНИТАЙ ХАМТРАН 2400 МВТ-ЫН ХҮЧИН ЧАДАЛТАЙ САЛХИН ЦАХИЛГААН СТАНЦ БАРИХААР БОЛОВ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/30     ОРОСЫН МОНГОЛ УЛС ДАХЬ ТОМООХОН ТӨСЛҮҮД ДЭЭР “ГАР БАРИХ” СОНИРХОЛ БА АМБИЦ WWW.EGUUR.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/30     МОНГОЛ, АНУ-ЫН ХООРОНД ТАВДУГААР САРЫН 1-НЭЭС НИСЛЭГ ҮЙЛДЭНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/29     ЕРӨНХИЙ САЙД Л.ОЮУН-ЭРДЭНЭ ЭГИЙН ГОЛЫН УЦС-ЫН ТӨСЛИЙН ТАЛБАЙД АЖИЛЛАЖ БАЙНА WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/29     Ц.ТОД-ЭРДЭНЭ: БИЧИГТ БООМТЫН ЕРӨНХИЙ ТӨЛӨВЛӨГӨӨ БАТЛАГДВАЛ БУСАД БҮТЭЭН БАЙГУУЛАЛТЫН АЖЛУУД ЭХЛЭХ БОЛОМЖ БҮРДЭНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/29     MCS-ИЙН ХОЁР ДАХЬ “УХАА ХУДАГ”: БНХАУ, АВСТРАЛИТАЙ ХАМТРАН ЭЗЭМШДЭГ БАРУУН НАРАНГИЙН ХАЙГУУЛЫГ УЛСЫН ТӨСВӨӨР ХИЙЖЭЭ WWW.EGUUR.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/29     АМ.ДОЛЛАРЫН ХАНШ ТОГТВОРЖИЖ 3595 ТӨГРӨГ БАЙНА WWW.EGUUR.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/29    

Events

Name organizer Where
MBCC “Doing Business with Mongolia seminar and Christmas Receptiom” Dec 10. 2024 London UK MBCCI London UK Goodman LLC

NEWS

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China's forex reserves rise unexpectedly in June www.xinhuanet.com

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign exchange reserves increased 13.43 billion U.S. dollars in June from the previous month to 3.21 trillion U.S. dollars, central bank data showed on Thursday.

Market analysts expected June's data would have dipped by at least 20 billion U.S. dollars.

Bloomberg chief Asia economist Tom Orlik said that yuan weakness and the Brexit shock came too late in the month to drive substantial capital outflows.

Valuation effects might also have contributed to the increase, as June saw sharp appreciation of the yen and substantial depreciation of the pound, Orlik said.

"Assuming the yen has a heavier weight in China's reserves, that would have pushed up the headline figure," he said in a research note.

The rise in forex reserves last month showed that the foreign exchange market conditions were not as bad as people had imagined, said Guan Tao, researcher with the China Finance 40 Forum.

Chinese investment in foreign stocks and bonds had good yields, and Brexit did not bring panic to the market nor massive purchases of the U.S. dollar, Guan said.

International capital may flow back to emerging markets including China if the global forex market calms down with lower hedging demand, whereas the yuan will see greater fluctuation if market sentiment deteriorates, raising the pressure of capital outflow, Guan said.

China's reserves, the largest in the world, fell by 27.9 billion U.S. dollars to 3.19 trillion U.S. dollars in May, the lowest level in nearly five years.

China began to see a falling trend in its forex reserves in November 2015 due to concerns over a weak yuan and capital outflow, but the reserves returned to growth in March as fears eased amid signs of stabilizing economic growth.

Forex reserves denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), an international reserve asset, rose by 16.16 billion SDRs to 2.29 trillion SDRs in June, the central bank data showed.

China's official gold reserves stood at 77.43 billion U.S. dollars in June, up from 70.48 billion U.S. dollars in May, according to the data.

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Value of Chilean copper exports at financial-crisis lows www.mining.com

New data shows the first six months of 2016 were tough for Chilean copper producers.

According to the number one copper producing country's central bank, the value of Chile's copper exports fell 16.1% in the first half, compared to H1 2015, on par with the financial crisis of 2009. Chile exported $13.4 billion worth of copper in H1, including $6.356 billion worth of copper cathodes and $5.805 billion of copper concentrate. Monthly copper exports dropped a whopping 28% to $2 billion, according to Platts.

The plunge in values of course reflects the slump in the copper price, which has halved from $10,190 a tonne in 2011 to a seven-year low of $4,318 in January. Platts quotes the Chilean Copper Commission predicting Thursday that the price will average $2.15 a pound this year compared to $2.57 in 2015.

However there is light at the end of the tunnel, with the big producers forecasting an end to the supply glut due to mine expansions not coming to fruition. That would put upward pressure on prices. Bloomberg quotes Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX), Codelco and BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) all predicting a copper deficit, with Freeport saying it could happen as early as next year. The reason? Low prices have put a lid on mine expansion plans. Mine output has also fallen:

Global production exceeded demand in five of the past six years, partly because of slower growth in China, the biggest user, data by Bloomberg Intelligence show. Copper has tumbled more than 50 per cent on the London Metal Exchange from a record $10,190 a tonne in 2011, touching close to a seven-year low of $4,318 a tonne in January. Macquarie Group Ltd. last month cut its price forecasts by 4.1 per cent to $4,690 a tonne for this year and 9 per cent to $4,788 for 2017.

As a result, capital spending by 35 major producers will shrink to about $41-billion next year, down from $104-billion in 2013, and mine output last year tumbled by more than 20 per cent, company data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence show. Even with a project pipeline with forecast capital expenditure of about $149.4-billion, according to the data, the mining industry faces challenges to deliver new supply in time to meet the deficit.
In Chile, copper output slipped 5.1 percent during the first half of 2016 to 2.302 million metric tons, according to Platts. Just this week however, an indication that Chile will be exporting more copper, with the announcement that BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest mining company, has committed to spend just under $200 million to get more copper out of its 57.5%-owned Escondida operation in Chile, the world's largest copper-producing mine.

The expansion of the Los Colorados concentrator will help offset declining grades at the mine and add incremental copper production to reach an average production of 1.2 million tonnes a year over the next decade, The Australian reported.

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Rio 2016 Olympic show to cost 'less than London' www.bbc.com

The chief executive of the company hired to stage the opening ceremony of the upcoming Rio Olympics has told the BBC the show will cost less than London's in 2012.
Antonio Abete adds he's 100% confident everything will go ahead as planned.
At a time of economic crisis in Brazil, they're doing it on a strict budget.
But his team are promising a spectacle that will be bigger and better than London 2012, which cost $40m (£31m), and was directed by Danny Boyle.
Mr Abete works for Filmmaster Events, and is answerable to the International Olympic Committee for delivering a show that will be watched by a global audience of around three billion people.
"The budget is completely different. We cannot say the real numbers, firstly because we are not allowed, but secondly because it's really difficult to know what the real number is.
"It's much less than London. It's because in Brazil everyone knows what the situation is, economically and politically. It's correct to invest money in the opening ceremony, but I think it's also correct to invest the right money.
"We are completely confident we can create an amazing show, without spending the huge amounts that the previous Olympic ceremonies had."
So, what will actually be in the opening ceremony?
As usual, the plan will be for national teams to arrive in the Maracanã stadium to the cheers of the world.
The creative directors are Brazilian filmmakers Fernando Meirelles and Daniela Thomas, with a cast of some 6,000 volunteers.
The internet is full of rumours of new technology - such as drones - being used, to be merged with samba and carnival themes to create an aerial display to remember. Antonio Abete gives a tight-lipped smile.
"Now you are asking me to tell you something that is secret, but I will tell you something. Usually the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games focuses on the culture and the history of the host country. In this case, we'll be different, because Brazil is an incredible country.
"In Brazil you cannot find only one culture, but more than one. Let me say, more than two, three or four. So, it will be a mix, and we will create a show, the biggest event in the world, not just Brazillian culture but world culture."
The secret will be out in less than a month, with the ceremony taking place on Friday the 5th of August.

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Russia Launches Modernized Soyuz Rocket to Space Station www.themoscowtimes.com

A Russian rocket carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station successfully took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Thursday, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
The launch marked the first flight of a modernized version of the venerable Soyuz spacecraft that Russia has flown since the late 1960s.
Known as the Soyuz-MS, the new vessel features an all-digital control system, streamlined internal hardware, and more efficient solar panels. It is intended to be the final modification of the Soyuz spacecraft, and will be used until Russia fields its still-in-development Federation spacecraft in the 2020s.
The crew will take the scenic route to the International Space Station. While Soyuz missions in recent years have often taken a quick, six-hour route to the orbiting outpost, the new modification will take a more traditional two-day route.
The vessel is commanded by Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and NASA's Kate Rubins. Their Soyuz-MS spacecraft is expected to arrive at the station on Saturday.

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Ukraine extends ban on Russian imports through 2017 www.rt.com

The Ukrainian government has prolonged the sanctions on Russian imports until December 31, 2017.
 
The decision “has been prepared for ensuring Ukraine’s national security in response to Russia’s introduction of respective trade bans and restrictions against Ukraine,” said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Stepan Kubiv at a government meeting.
 
The current ban would was due to expire on August 5 this year.
 
The embargoes have led to a 42 percent drop in trade between the two countries in the first quarter of the year, according to Kubiv. He added that Ukraine was still losing other markets due to the measures.
 
In December, President Putin signed a decree to suspend the free trade treaty with Ukraine, starting from January 1, 2016. Before Kiev signed the EU association agreement, Russia and Ukraine traded in accordance with the free trade agreement between CIS countries.
 
Putin said Kiev’s move to open its borders to the EU compromises Russian interests and economic security. Moscow is concerned that without a barrier, Ukraine could illegally supply embargoed European goods to Russia.
 
Two years ago, the Kremlin introduced a food embargo against countries that supported anti-Russian sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine. These include the EU, the US, Canada, Norway and Australia. Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, and Liechtenstein were included in Moscow’s sanction list in 2015.
 
The ban, which includes meat, fish and milk products, as well as fruit and vegetables, was recently extended through 2017.
 
Last week, Moscow prolonged restrictions on Ukrainian goods transported via Russia to Kazakhstan and extended them to neighboring Kyrgyzstan.
 
Kiev says Russia's move violates the rules of the World Trade Organization.
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Challenges in doing intercontinental business to be addressed www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ On 13 and 14, Asia-Europe Business forum will be held with an aim to consolidate intercontinental business collaboration and share their best practices.

The forum which is the last side event of the ASEM Summit will bring together nearly 600 delegates from 51 ASEM member states and will provide a wide platform of addressing challenges businesses of intercontinental scale are confronted with and seeking best solutions. The forum will consists of four panel sessions under topics of inclusive economic growth, Asia-Europe interrelations, connecting small businesses to international value-added network, and investment and green development.

According to D.Nyamkhuu, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, a total of MNT 258.830 million was budgeted for ht upcoming event organization.

Mongolia will be represented by some 300 business delegates who are afforded an opportunity to promote their activity to foreign businesspeople.

The panel session on inclusive economic growth will hold a debate on ways the small economies like Mongolia can benefit from economic integrations and relations of larger countries in. The Asia-Europe connectivity session will focus on infrastructure connectivity, economic corridor, migrations and sustainable tourism.

The other two sessions will address challenges the small and medium businesses face in joining value-added networks, relations between small and national enterprises and transnational corporations as well as responsible business, creating and application of green technologies and renewable energy sources. The final document to come out from the forum will be delivered to the ASEM Summit.

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Asia’s Investors Are at Risk From Slide in London Property Prices www.bloomberg.com

From Hong Kong’s central bank to China’s largest property developer, Asian investors have a lot riding on London’s real estate market.
Britain’s decision to leave the European Union has clouded the outlook for property, prompting asset managers to freeze withdrawals from real estate funds as investors rushed to redeem their money. Commercial property values could fall about 10 percent over the next year, led by declines in oversupplied central London, BlackRock Inc. said after the vote.
Investors from Asia accounted for 12 percent of the 10.7 billion pound ($13.9 billion) of direct real estate investment in the U.K. in the first quarter, making them the largest international group, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. The country has been among the top five global real estate investment destinations for decades, especially for buyers from Singapore, China and Hong Kong.
“It’s a confidence crisis,” said Reid Mackay, Singapore-based managing director of EastGate Asia Pte, a real estate brokerage and advisory firm. “It will very much affect transactions that are pending.” Deals that are pending “are virtually put on hold. The transactions volume will probably fall,” said Mackay, who previously was executive director of Asia Capital Markets at CBRE Group Inc. for 15 years.
Finding Opportunities
Still, some developers see Brexit as an opportunity. Guo Guangchang, the Chinese billionaire chairman of conglomerate Fosun Group, said his company is increasingly eyeing development opportunities in Europe and particularly in the U.K. amid the current volatility. Singapore’s second-largest developer City Developments Ltd. is also looking for bargains in the London property market and is ready to pounce in a fire sale, Chairman Kwek Leng Beng said.
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Shares of Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties Company Ltd., which is building homes in London’s Nine Elms district, have fallen 7.2 percent in Hong Kong since June 23, while those of Malaysian company SP Setia Berhad have lost 9.5 percent. China’s largest developer China Vanke Co., whose shares started trading in Shenzhen on July 4 after being halted for more than six months, plunged almost 20 percent this week amid a tussle for control with shareholders. Here’s a list of select projects in London under development and some of the Asian backers whose money is riding on them.
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Chinese fund eyes Glencore gold mine in Kazakhstan www.mining.com

China's state-backed Silk Road Fund, a $40 billion venture that invests along the nation’s ancient trade routes with Central Asia, is said to be weighing a joint bid with China National Gold for Glencore’ gold mine in Kazakhstan.
 
According to sources familiar with the matter, quoted by Bloomberg, the group could pay up to $2 billion for the Vasilkovskoye mine, which is Glencore’s largest gold operation.
 
The sale would bring the Swiss mining giant closer to its target of cutting net debt to below $18 billion this year. It would follow similar recent moves, such as Glencore’s decision to sell an almost 10% stake in its agriculture unit to Canada’s British Columbia Investment Management Corp. for $624.9 million in cash last month.
 
Falling metal prices hit Glencore’s shares hard last year as investors became concerned about its debt load. But a strong 2015 performance from its trading arm, led the oil unit, and an aggressive debt reduction plan has helped trigger a significant bounce in its shares so far in 2016.
 
Glencore decided to consider selling its 70% stake in Vasilkovskoye mine earlier this year, after being approached by several suitors, and has appointed BMO Capital Markets and Deutsche Bank to handle a possible deal.
 
Chinese firms Zhongjin Gold Corp., Shandong Gold Mining Co. and Zijin Mining Group Co. have also been singled out as some of the competing bidders for the mine.
 
Vasilkovskoye’s gold output is pegged at roughly 350,000 ounces a year. A smaller gold mine Glencore used to own in Kazakhstan, Komarovskoye, was sold in April to Polymetal International for an initial $100 million.
 
Kazakhstan, the world's largest landlocked country by land area, is known for its riches.
 
According to data provided by the Embassy of Kazakhstan to the Canada, the Asian country holds the second largest uranium, chromium, lead, and zinc reserves, as well as the third largest manganese deposits and the world’s No. 5 copper reserves.
 
Kazakhstan is also said to rank in the top ten for iron, and gold, it’s a well-known diamonds exporter and holds the 11th largest proven reserves of both petroleum and natural gas.
 
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Samsung profit hits 2-year high on improved smartphone sales www.asia.nikkei.com

SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics's operating profit rose to its highest level in about two years, thanks to continued improvement in its smartphone sales.
 
The South Korean electronics giant said in a preliminary report on Thursday that it logged 8.1 trillion won ($7 billion) in operating profit for the three months through June, up 17% on the year. That was the fourth consecutive quarter of rises and the highest profit since the first quarter of 2014.
 
The numbers were helped by brisk sales of Samsung's mainstay Galaxy S7 smartphone, which came out in March. Sales rose 3% in the latest quarter to 50 trillion won, while the operating profit margin on sales stood at 16.2%. According to survey by QUICK-FactSet, the average analyst forecast was for an operating profit was 7.4 trillion won on sales of 51 trillion won.
 
Earnings by segment will be published later in the month, along with revised figures.
 
The better-than-expected second-quarter numbers sent Samsung Electronics higher on the Korea Exchange on Thursday morning. After a slow start, the stock gained momentum, briefly hitting 1.45 million won, up 29,000 won, or 2%, from Wednesday's close.
 
On July 1, Samsung shares hit a year-to-date high, matching the level last seen in April 2015, buoyed by hopes for strong second-quarter earnings.
 
NQN staff writer Atsushi Otani in Hong Kong contributed to this article.
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7th Model ASEM of youths launched www.en.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ In the scope of the 11th ASEM Summit to be held on July 13-16 in Ulaanbaatar, the 7th Model ASEM of youths entitled “20 years of ASEM: Partnership for Future through Connectivity” started Thursday in the Central Youth Palace, Ulaanbaatar.
 
Opening remarks were delivered by L.Purevsuren, the Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Zhang Yan, Executive Director of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF); and A.Monkhbat, president of the Mongolian Youth Federation (MYF) and vice president of the World Assembly of Youth (WAY). The latter’s speech detailed about functions and actions of the MYF and emphasized that youth need to discuss nowadays challenges such as environmental issues, climate change, resolving conflicts and wars and combating corruption. Noting about the differences between Asian and European cultures, Monkhbat underlined that every nation has to keep its distinctive features.
 
In his speech, the Foreign Minister identified Mongolia as a bridge between Asia and Europe. As the host of the 2016 ASEM Summit, Mongolia is proud itself of connecting the continents through not only economic ties, but also political and diplomatic relations.
 
"Asia-Europe cooperation and its frame have broadened, but we still face many challenges. It is vital to design ways of resolving any problems and difficulties.
 
Nowadays youth is confronted with many challenges such as terrorism and poverty, but I am confident that the young generation will master these challenges, standing against terrorism and will make this world better,” he said.
 
After a concert of Mongolian folk dance and music for the guests, a photosession took place.
 
The one-day Model ASEM is continuing with discussing of the ASEM Outlook report 2016-2017 and a panel discussion on the ASEM process. List of panelists included L.Orgil, ASEM senior official for Mongolia; Marco Ferri, Minister Counsellor and official from the political section at the delegation of the EU to China; Katharina Hoene, a trainer and lecturer at the Diplo-Foundation; Rebecca Stetter, project coordinator for ASEM Outlook Report from ASEF; and Yu Fei, an official from the ASEF University Alumni Network (ASEFUAN).
 
The Model ASEM is being attended by 100 young people who were selected out of 3,900 applicants of Mongolia and all over the world. All of the participants and guests were granted with certificate of attendance as well.
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