Chairman of the State Great Khural G. Zandanshatar received a delegation led by World Bank Country Director for China, South Korea and Mongolia Mara K. Warwick.

At the outset of the meeting, the State Great Khural Chairman expressed that Mongolia highly appreciates the World Bank’s consistent support in consolidating Mongolia’s business and investment environment. He then briefed on the legal reforms that will be carried out in the near future.

For her part, the World Bank Country Director emphasized that the laws and regulations that are passed by the State Great Khural and the future measures are in correlation with the World Bank’s reports and recommendations while commending Mongolia for taking decisive action to make legal reforms.

Noting that the World bank is paying particular attention to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and increasing employment opportunities, she expressed confidence that the legal reforms will bring positive results in the development of the business sector.

“Aside from providing technical assistance to Mongolia, I am pleased to announce that the World Bank will launch programs in 2023 to strengthen good governance, encourage the use of renewable energy and tackle climate change issues”, she added.

The meeting also touched on the “D-Parliament” digital platform, which was introduced to increase the participation of citizens and NGOs in lawmaking, projects, and programs implemented in the past by the World Bank, and other issues.

Mongolia is steeped in rich, ancient culture. One of the most fascinating discoveries made in Mongolia is that of their mysterious deer stones. These deer stones are estimated to be at least 2,700 years old and depict several images, including deer, elk, horses, human faces, and the sun.

These Bronze Age masterpieces are fascinating, as they provide some insight into the people that lived at the time of their creation, but otherwise provide little to no detail about their purpose. To this day, archaeologists continue to dig deeper to discover more about the deer stones and the people who created them.

The first deer stone analysis was concluded over a hundred years ago. In 1856, D. P. Daydoff discovered the Ivolga Stone in modern-day Ulan-Ude, Russia, and published an article about the rare deer stone. Just a few decades later, in 1892, V. V. Radlov, a Russian Turkologist specializing in Turkic languages, published several drawings of other deer stones he had found throughout Mongolia. These researchers found the monoliths fascinating, but could only theorize their purpose.

A study in the late 20th century by V. V. Volkov theorized that the eastern deer stones were likely connected to the slab grave culture of the Bronze Age . He also posited that some of the deer stones were involved in ancient rituals, as several have been found positioned in giant circles facing specific directions. This theory was later supported by the discovery of animal bones around and underneath several of the discovered deer stones.

Although some historians speculated that the deer stones were actually ancient gravestones, none of the stones were found to have human remains around or underneath them. Instead, some have proposed that the stones were carved to honor or represent deceased individuals. This would make sense, as many of the stones depict warriors and weapons, and they are completely unique from one another. One warrior’s deer stone would be different from another’s, as they had completely different lives and histories.

While the exact purpose behind the deer stones has not yet been discovered, historians are certainly interested in analyzing their potential meaning. Today, at least 1,500 deer stones have been discovered throughout Mongolia. Researchers working on these stones hope that further discoveries will uncover more information about the stones and the people that created them. To assist with this process, the Smithsonian Institution started the Deer Stone Project in 2006, which began to store the stones digitally using 3D scanning. Easier comparison of these stones could lead to further conclusions in the future.

Deer stones were mostly carved out of granite or greenstone, depending on the region they were made in. Although each deer stone is similar in composition, they vary greatly in height, with some being as short as 3 feet and others being as tall as 15 feet (0.9 to 4.5 meters tall). Typically, they vary between 11 to 31 inches (28 to 78 centimeters) in width and 7 to 16 inches (17 to 40 centimeters) in thickness.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the shapes of the stones; some have round tops while others have flat tops. In addition to these shapes, some of the deer stones have tops that are broken off, leaving their original shape unclear. Archaeologists are currently unsure whether these broken tablets once had portions of greater significance along their tops. Because of the type of destruction found on some of the deer stones, it is believed that some were intentionally damaged along the top for a currently unknown reason.

Archaeologists have determined that there are at least three distinct types of deer stones throughout Mongolia: classic Mongolian, western Asian-European, and Sayan-Altai. The classic Mongolian stones are described as detailed and elegant compared to the other two types. They typically depict images of belted warriors and flying red deer. They are typically found throughout northern Mongolia and southern Siberia.

West Asian-European deer stones depict unique shapes compared to the other two. They typically have large circles, ‘earring hoops,’ and necklaces engraved on them, as well as horizontal and diagonal divider lines. They may also have a collection of stone pits around them. Sayan-Altai deer stones are like a combination of classic Mongolian and western Asian-European. They are simple in design, but still contain more images than western Asian-European deer stones, including stick-like warriors, tools, and reindeer.

Although historians don’t have a full picture regarding the origin, purpose, or creators of the deer stones of Mongolia, they are an essential part of the puzzle. In the future, archaeologists will continue to uncover more deer stones, in hopes that some will provide further clarity about their purpose or the civilization that created so many of them. If you ever find yourself in Mongolia, be sure to check out these fascinating ancient masterpieces for yourself. (source: ancient origins)

ONE Championship™ (ONE), the world’s largest martial arts organization, in conjunction with Steppe Link Holding, recently concluded a successful first season of Road to ONE: Mongolia that saw bantamweight Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu win a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract.

The 10-episode reality series featured two teams of the region’s top mixed martial artists competing for the opportunity to earn a spot on ONE’s roster, culminating with a pair of on-ground live events in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Baatarkhuu, who defeated Bat-Ochir Batsaikhan with a walk-off, one-punch knockout in the finale at Steppe Arena, was named the Season 1 winner of Road to ONE: Mongolia.

ONE Championship Vice President and MMA legend Rich Franklin presented Baatarkhuu with the prestigious six-figure contract. Franklin also awarded a “Warrior Bonus” to fellow competitor Davaajamts Batsuren for his submission victory during the finale.

“This was one of the best and most professionally run editions of the Road to ONE series that I have witnessed, and I’m very excited for Enkh-Orgil’s future,” Franklin said. “He is a special talent and a very deserving winner, and I expect him to make waves in ONE Championship.”

“I felt so many emotions after I won — happiness, fear, hope. But at the same time, I felt a great responsibility – a responsibility not to disappoint ONE Championship, the people of Mongolia, and the people who believe in me,” Baatarkhuu said.

ONE Championship will expand its search for the next greatest MMA superstar across the region with Road to ONE: Central Asia in 2023.

The MONTSAME News Agency interviewed Cultural Envoy of Mongolia and President of the Mongolian Tourism Association, D. Gantumur.

- It has been over a year since you were appointed as the Cultural Envoy of Mongolia. What defines the cultural policy in the travel and tourism industry during post-pandemic difficulties?

- There is no particular envoy of the travel and tourism industry, but tourism is a target market representing Mongolia. This industry clarifies why tourists should come to Mongolia, attracts foreign investment, and becomes a bridge of culture, diplomatic relations, and business. Tourism revenue contributes to the national GDP and supports local communities and small and medium enterprises. Therefore, tourism is the envoy that represents the culture. The cultural envoy signs a 5-year contract with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and reports annually. It means that the cultural envoy accepts additional duties and responsibilities to their work.

Moreover, the Cultural Envoy makes a unique contribution to the geopolitical, political, and economic policies of any country, sometimes it becomes an invisible means. The primary approach of Mongolia is to maintain an economy, trade, and foreign relations balanced and not overly dependent on any country and to become a corridor region for Central Asia. Our tourism depends on 3 markets: China, Russia, and South Korea. Our country receives more than 100,000 tourists from each of these countries. However, it is not good to carry out a cultural policy that depends on over yen and yuan economy. Cultural cooperation is the first step towards sustainable and mutually beneficial balanced policies with neighboring countries. Tourism is an industry where you can earn US dollars from what you have in your country. For example, if a Russian tourist like the taste of meat while traveling in Mongolia, they can become a future buyer. The cultural policy should be coordinated with the third neighbor’s policy since this is tourism’s role. Mongolian culture offers a vital contribution to people’s mental development. Which procedure should be carried out in a particular country relies on the activities of the cultural envoy. Tourism will make commodities out of it and create a shared passageway. We must preserve and develop Mongolia’s advantages, such as nature-related freedom, democracy, and human rights, to benefit the Mongolian people.

- Mongolia opened its borders in February 2022. What are you currently working on?

- During the pandemic, the domestic production of Mongolia was de-escalated, and world countries were not fully open. The situation in our Northern neighbor is complicated, and the “zero covid” policy in our Southern neighbor is continuing. During this period, I worked online and researched how to introduce Mongolia to the world. I was selected for Mongolian culture and tourism projects of the World Bank, JICA, European Union countries, and the United Nations, and I did some expert research. I created a business model for managing the tourism economy in Mongolia, obtained a Doctor of Science degree in culture and tourism, and expanded my theoretical and methodological knowledge in art philosophy, the development of creative cultural production, and tourism promotion to the world. Moreover, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and I jointly organized business meetings and cultural tourism promotions for South Korea, Japan, and Turkey.

I will organize a meeting of cultural envoys soon to discuss how to express our country to the world based on Mongolian cultural distinctions. A National Tourism Development Committee was established under the Prime Minister of Mongolia. It has 6 subcommittees. The committee will focus on promoting Mongolia based on slogans, brands, names, and the meaningful image of our country. I am researching what regular travel activities can be organized for tourists and what should be done, focusing more on the business and organizational management aspects.

- The Government of Mongolia announced 2023 and 2024 as “The Years to Visit Mongolia.” What are the main works to be done in this regard?

- Mongolia announced 2023 and 2024 as “The Years to Visit Mongolia” and approved the slogan “Welcome to Mongolia.” With this announcement, the government aimed to give state support to promoting Mongolia, bind the promotion and activities of many different industries into one policy, and increase the budget and workforce for this activity. On the other hand, the declaration of “The Years to Visit Mongolia” has the political importance of taking the lead to the State and moving forward during this time of tourism industry breakdown.

Many objects need to be improved, such as the standards of tourist services, availability of air transport, seats, prices, etc., implementation of the “Vision 2050” development policy by specific industries, and what advantages and positivity need to be formed for individuals. Therefore, the government and the private sectors need to work together to liberalize the business industry and develop the free business simulation. Our responsibility is to find a model that does not overextend the involvement of the public and private sectors and eventually pays off for the local citizen. We should be more specific in announcing the visiting year to contribute the number of transportation and its policy, and so many reception services when we receive so many thousand tourists from South Korea, instead of making just a slogan. Before the tourisb season begins, we are trying to solve problems and create the next model. The goal is to receive one million tourists next year.

- How appropriate is it that the government announced “The Years of Visit Mongolia” when the travel and tourism industry has not yet recovered its workforce, domestic flights, and activities for tourists after the pandemic?

- It is true that the tourism industry has lost workforce and personnel from the lockdown during the pandemic. Moreover, companies are unable to pay their bank debts, health, and social insurance. Even though the government encourages developing winter tourism, it needs to take into account how much burden of energy, land and real estate business owners take. Identifying and mobilizing a way to recover quickly and sharply instead of repeating the pandemic’s severity is crucial. “The Years to Visit Mongolia” will be a stimulus for this. Some things take time, such as the country’s infrastructure and internal competition, but those who do things faster get more successful.

- Before the pandemic, the number of tourists to our country reached about 570,000. Was there any target numbers to reach this year?

- Tourism is hugely dependent on different seasons in Mongolia. Tourists come only in the months of June, July, August, and September. You must make a reservation well in advance to be able to find a tourist camp, hotel, or service center during the Naadam festival. The dependence is high in this industry. In addition, the price of air transportation, the availability of domestic and international flights, and the guaranteed and stable seating terms make the tourism business difficult. There is a reason behind these fundamental factors, but there is also a solution. I do not think there is a country that received half the number of tourists they received before the pandemic. As of today, Mongolia received about 300,000 tourists. There were people who doubted the numbers asked whether the Russians should be counted as tourists. According to the World Tourism Organization, if a person gets a tourist visa when entering a country and leave within that period, that person will be counted as a tourist. In that sense, that person is regarded as a tourist. Of course, the situation is way better compared to the past two years when there were no tourists.

In China’s latest crackdown on cryptocurrency fraud, police say they arrested 63 people suspected of helping domestic and foreign criminal groups launder the equivalent of US$1.7 billion through virtual currencies, according to a statement released last weekend.

More than 200 officers of the law in 17 provinces, autonomous regions and cities of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region carried out simultaneous operations over last week, a news release published by public security authorities said.

Police say they spotted an “abnormal flow” of money in a trading account held by a suspect who allegedly moved more than 10 million yuan (nearly $1.5 million) monthly. Once officials learned the account was allegedly being used to launder money, they froze it and moved in.

About $18.6 million in illegal income was confiscated.

The group is alleged to have begun operations earlier this year, helping criminals launder their funds from pyramid schemes, fraud and gambling.

The group then converted the funds into Tether, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, and then attracted new people from around the world to open crypto accounts and help launder the funds. Stablecoins are crypto currencies linked to fiat currencies or to commodities such as gold in an attempt to avoid wild swings in value.

According to the statement, “buying virtual currency anonymously and then selling it” is a way to avoid identification. “There is no way to query the flow of funds or find the payee through traditional means.”

“The query and retrieval of virtual currency is also very complicated,” it added.

Authorities in China said they “solved the case using multiple methods such as interrogating persons involved in the case, investigation on overseas digital currency exchanges, and digital currency blockchain tracking.”

According to the 2022 Crypto Crime Report by Chainalysis, cybercriminals often move their ill-gotten funds to a service where they can be kept safe from the authorities and eventually converted to cash.

“That’s why money laundering underpins all other forms of cryptocurrency-based crime,” the report said. If criminals cannot ultimately use the money, “there’s no incentive to commit crimes involving cryptocurrency in the first place.”

Between 2017 and 2021, cybercriminals laundered more than $33 billion worth of cryptocurrency. Last year, about $8.6 billion was laundered, which represented a 30 percent increase in money laundering activity over 2020.

LONDON – Ulaanbaatar-based carrier Eznis Airways has been accused of transporting military supplies to Russia.

The Accusation…

A “concerned aviation worker” has approached AviationSource on condition of anonymity and has said that one of Eznis’ Airbus A330 aircraft has been grounded because of this.

“I have critical news regarding Eznis Airways and their newly acquired Airbus A330-200 Freighter, registration JU-1332”.

“The aircraft is currently grounded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with a shipment of military supplies from China, final destination Russia.”

“The aircraft is loaded with 50 tons of military apparel and equipment headed for Russia.”

“The insurance provider has started an investigation into this matter and found out that a large shipment of military goods has been brought from China.”

“Eznis Airways is directly assisting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

About JU-1332…

JU-1332 has not been in the Eznis Airways fleet for very long. The aircraft started out life as C-GGWC with Canada 3000 Airlines in May 1999.

By February 2002, the aircraft was handed over to Precision Aviation Consulting and Training Inc as F-WQQL.

Later on in that year, the jet was handed over to Volare Airlines, where it remained with the carrier until November 2004, with ILFC taking control of the leased jet as EI-DIR.

By February 2005, the aircraft was sent over to Etihad Airways as A6-EYV. The aircraft remained in the fleet until May 2008, when it was subsequently handed over to Air One and then to Alitalia by January 2009.

EI-DIR was ferried over to Ulaanbaatar on November 4-5 for Eznis as JU-1332, with the aircraft entering service on November 9.

Has The Aircraft Been Grounded?

The last flight that the aircraft did was from Beijing on November 30, with the flight losing ADS-B signal over Erenhot, China.

It could be suggested that if the aircraft were indeed headed to a Russian base of sorts, then the Russian Government probably would make sure that transponder signals are blocked.

All other flights that this aircraft has operated have been from Seoul only before this sudden change over to Beijing.

This would be a well-used strategy in preventing knowledge of hidden bases within the region.

On the other hand, we do know that the ADS-B signal strength around Mongolia and Russia is virtually non-existent, which could enable governments to contract flights like this.

No other flights have been operated with this airframe since November 30, which does back up the idea that the jet is grounded in Ulaanbaatar.

AviationSource has approached ILFC, AerCap, and Eznis Airways on this particular issue, but at the time of publication, neither party has responded.

Overall…

In the context of the Ukraine invasion, this is a controversial thing for carriers like Eznis Airways to do and would show where their loyalties lie.

All eyes will be on that particular A330 to see when it will be ungrounded and whether it will operate such flights into Russia again.

Ulaanbaatar Railways JSC is taking urgent measures to improve the distribution and meet the domestic demand for diesel fuel.

According to Head of the Transport Control Department of Ulaanbaatar Railways M. Tsogt, the company has shortened its transportation and unloading time by 16 hours to improve the distribution and meet the domestic demand for diesel fuel. Trains arriving through the border ports used to spend 36 hours at Tolgoit Station in Ulaanbaatar City for unloading and transferring oil products. Now the duration required for the abovementioned procedures has been reduced to 20 hours. He also informed that the customs office works 24 hours a day.

These works are being organized with the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry as discussed between the companies and enterprises that import and transport diesel fuel.

It was reported that diesel fuel is currently being imported from China in addition to Russia last few days. The duration required for the transshipment of diesel fuel has also been shortened as it no longer waits for transportation calculations and customs clearance.

The decrease in the diesel fuel imported from Russia poses a potential fuel shortage, not the transportation and unloading procedures. As of December 9, the company received 267 wagons of fuel from China and planning to receive 200 more wagons.

220 wagons out of 253 loaded with petroleum products from Russia have been unloaded at the railway station so far.

Since December 4, peaceful demonstrations is taking place at the central square by citizens demanding the government take decisive and swift actions to resolve the coal theft allegations.

As demanded by the demonstrators, specific measures are being taken by the President of Mongolia, the State Great Khural, the Government, and law enforcement agencies. For instance, a number of working groups have been set up and investigations are underway in accordance with the demonstrators' demands to reveal the violations in the coal sector.

The following decisions were made to resolve the current issue for the past few days:

December 5.

-The Chairman of the State Great Khural issued an ordinance to set up a working group to organize a public hearing on the coal theft allegations.

-The State Great Khural convened virtually to hear reports by the law enforcement agencies regarding the issue.

December 6.

-Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene held a press briefing, pledging that the Government would put concerted efforts to bring justice to the issues surrounding the coal theft allegations. Moreover, as chairman of the ruling party in the parliament, he expressed readiness to dissolve the State Great Khural before its legal term if necessary, announcing that he would initiate negotiations with political parties and other stakeholders on this matter.

-The Directors of the Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC), the General Intelligence Agency (GIA), and the National Police Agency (NPA) issued a joint order on establishing a working group to look into the criminal cases related to coal mining, export, transportation, and payment.

December 7.

-The President met with the representatives of the Cabinet and the heads of law enforcement agencies and tasked to expedite works on resolving the coal theft allegations. He then warned the authorities that the time is near to dissolve the State Great Khural and the Cabinet before their legal terms and grant the citizens’ right to vote as provided by the relevant law unless the issues are promptly resolved.

-The Cabinet established a working group to speed up investigations regarding the coal theft allegations.

-The Standing Committee on Economy of the State Great Khural decided to organize a public hearing on the issues of coal shipment and exports on December 21. At the public hearing, the information on offtake contracts established by “Erdenes Tavantolgoi” JSC, the enterprises that mined coking coal in the country and the amount of the output; the enterprises that transported coking coal and their revenue; and the detailed information on the coking coal exported through all border checkpoints of Mongolia will be presented.

December 8.

-During the State Great Khural session, a decision was made to extend the working period of the ad hoc committee in charge of investigating the difficulties encountered in cargo, transport, coal entry, and free zone operations at border ports by six months.

December 9.

-An emergency regime was imposed for “Tavantolgoi” JSC for a duration of six months and State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs P. Sainzorig was appointed as the Government’s Special Representative.

-The Government disclosed nine contracts related to "Erdenes Tavantolgoi" JSC, which were classified as confidential.

-Minister of Justice and Home Affairs Kh. Nyambaatar and Chief of the NPA J. Bold were tasked to regularly provide the public with accurate and prompt information regarding the progress of the cases and investigation related to the ongoing issue.

-The Ministry of Digital Development and Communications and the Ministry of Mining and Heavy industry agreed to expedite works to establish a Minerals Commodities Exchange in cooperation with the private sector.

December 12.

-At its irregular meeting, the Cabinet resolved to have independent experts audit the operations of “Erdenes Tavantolgoi” JSC, offer the shares of the company to the public through the stock exchange, and publicly disclose the company’s procurement contracts on an official website.

-The Cabinet decided to impose a 6-month emergency regime for “Tavantolgoi Railways” JSC and appointed a special representative.

December 13.

-With the permission of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the IAAC released the names of the companies and their owners and executives that signed contracts with “Erdenes Tavantolgoi” JSC on coal transportation, purchase, and sales in addition to the details of the contracts. As disclosed by the IAAC, from January 1, 2018, to December 1, 2022, the company established 633 (double-counted) coal sales agreements. In the reference period, the company signed 576 procurement contracts worth MNT 20 million or more. As of today, 398 companies are carrying out coal shipments from the Tavantolgoi deposit to the Gantsmod border port.

-The names of 17 people who are being investigated by the IAAC were revealed. The IAAC underscored that it was revealed during the investigations that these people are directly or indirectly involved in the coal theft allegations, and the court will decide whether they are guilty or not.

December 14.

-The Cabinet decided to submit the amendments to the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code to the State Great Khural for a prompt discussion. The amendment includes provisions such as prohibiting the court to charge minor sentences to cases of corruption and abuse of power or office by a state official and stiffening sentences.

Mongolia’s anti-corruption authority announced Tuesday that former President Khaltmaagiin Battulga is being investigated in a coal theft case that began in the wake of a large-scale demonstration in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, early last week.

The Independent Authority Against Corruption of Mongolia (IAAC) announced at a news conference that Battulga, in addition to 15 other notable figures, including former ministers and current MPs, were contacted and courts will decide their crimes.

“The following officials participated in coal mining, transportation, and procurement of goods and services with state-owned assets,” said M. Davaatogtoh, deputy head of the investigative department of the IAAC.

Davaatogtoh said a joint investigation related to coal mining and its sale and transportation was underway by the General Intelligence Agency of Mongolia and the National Police Agency.

“Investigations are underway in a total of 22 cases. During the investigation, 47 objects were searched, 15 people were arrested, and 10 people were detained,” he said. “In order to speed up the investigation, a sub-working group was also established at the IAAC. So far, 35 people have been charged.”

Separately, the IAAC published information about transactions conducted by state-owned companies, Erdenes-Tavantolgoi JSC and Tavantolgoi Railway, which amount to 633 contracts between Jan. 1, 2018, and Dec. 1, 2022.

“[Eleven] cases of investigation and 7 cases of investigation are currently being opened and investigations are being carried out in connection with the problems of giving advantage to others, taking bribes, and getting rich without reason during the construction of the coal transportation railway,” according to a statement.

Mongolia’s Cabinet of Ministers decided Monday to place Tavantolgoy Railway under direct control of the government and introduce a “special regime” for the company for six months.

Several hundred people braved freezing temperatures in Ulaanbaatar to protest corruption in the coal industry and the country’s ailing economy, with some trying to storm government buildings Dec. 4.