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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Mongolia's COVID-19 daily cases below 100 for 1st time since late December www.xinhuanet.com

March 13 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's Health Ministry on Sunday confirmed 94 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, below the benchmark of 100 for the first time since Dec. 27, 2021 when 83 daily cases were reported.
The latest confirmed cases were all locally transmitted, raising the country's COVID-19 tally to 467,970, the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Asian country has reported no new deaths from the viral disease for three days in a row by Sunday, and currently has a total of 4,412 active COVID-19 cases.
So far, 66.8 percent of the country's total population of 3.4 million have received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, while 1,027,900 people have received a third dose.
A total of 108,900 Mongolians have received a fourth dose, which the country started to administer on Jan. 7 on a voluntary basis.
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Mongolia holds eagle festival to promote pandemic-hit tourism sector www.xinhuanet.com

Mongolia kicked off its annual Golden Eagle Festival near the capital city here on Saturday to promote the country's pandemic-hit tourism sector.
The event called "Nomadic Winter - Golden Eagle Festival" was co-organized by the Mongolian Eagle Hunters' Association and Governor's Office of the western province of Bayan-Ulgii under the auspices of the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism and Ministry of Culture.
"Our country organizes more than 100 events a year to promote the tourism sector. The eagle festival is one of the main winter tourism events with its unique features," Erkhembayar Battulga, state secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, told Xinhua during the event.
More than 10 eagle hunters from Bayan-Ulgii province, home to eagle hunters, participated in the 12th edition of the event, which features several activities to showcase the skills of both the birds and their trainers, including specially-trained golden eagles catching small animals such as foxes and hares and owners calling eagles from some distance away.
The festival, cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, attracted thousands of domestic and foreign tourists this year
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Billionaire Friedland banks on Liberia’s railway to tap Guinean iron www.bloomberg.com

A mining company controlled by billionaire Robert Friedland is counting on getting access to a Liberian railway in order to develop its Nimba project in neighboring Guinea, one of the largest untapped iron ore resources.
High Power Exploration Inc. wants to begin development of Nimba — located near Liberia’s border and estimated to hold 1 billion tons of high-grade iron ore — next year. That likely requires being able to use a railway that feeds Liberia’s Buchanan port and which is being upgraded by ArcelorMittal SA, as routing supplies to terminals in Guinea and Ivory Coast is much harder.
The Liberian government is now examining an amended agreement to let multiple users access the Yekepa-Buchanan rail line and port, but it’s not clear what the extent of that access will be.
Guinea has huge iron ore reserves — including the giant Simandou deposit — but has never been able to develop mines because of long-running disputes over ownership rights and the large investment needed to extract and transport ore. Finally getting a project up and running would be a big boost for the country and would start bringing more supplies to the market.
“A major attraction when you develop a bulk commodity type project is to be able to be not too far from a port and, even better, to have access to an existing infrastructure,” Guy de Selliers, chairman of Societe des Mines de Fer de Guinee, HPX’s subsidiary in Guinea, said in an interview. “The location of the project is one of its assets.”
HPX estimates it will cost almost $2.8 billion to develop Nimba, including $600 million for other rail and port development in Liberia. It’s targeting the first production in 2027 and wants to eventually extract roughly 450 million tons.
While ArcelorMittal has spent more than $500 million and will invest a further $200 million on the rail line and Buchanan port, the decision on who can use the link rests with the amended agreement that’s yet to be passed into law.
The amended agreement the government is looking at “establishes a very comprehensive non-discriminatory multi-user access regime for the rail and port,” the Luxembourg-based steelmaker said by email.
For HPX, the alternatives aren’t as attractive. It could build a railway through Ivory Coast to get material to a port, but that would take longer and need the help of other mining operations to justify it, de Selliers said. And Guinea itself doesn’t have the necessary infrastructure.
That’s partly why the Simandou deposit has remained in limbo. Interim President Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a September coup, initially encouraged Rio Tinto Group and China-backed SMB Winning Consortium to work together to develop Simandou. But his government on Thursday night said operations should stop, citing a lack of progress in talks between the two parties.
SMB Winning Consortium had already started work on a 650-kilometer (404 miles) railway linking the mine to the port.
(By Katarina Hoije and Leanne de Bassompierre, with assistance from Thomas Biesheuvel and Ougna Camara)
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Guinea junta halts Rio Tinto’s Simandou iron ore project www.mining.com

Guinea’s ruling junta has ordered a full halt of Rio Tinto’s (ASX, LON, NYSE: RIO) vast Simandou iron ore project in the country’s southeast, with interim president Mamady Doumbouya saying it is not clear how the mine will preserve national interests.
The current government, who took power in a military coup in September, said in a statement that Doumbouya had not seen any progress in that direction, despite having discussed the matter with Rio’s boss Jakob Stausholm in December.
“[Colonel Doumbouya] therefore ordered the cessation of all activity on the ground pending the answers to questions posed to various actors and the clarification of the operational mode by which the interests of Guinea will be preserved,” government spokesperson Ousmane Gaoual Diallo said in the statement.
Simandou, owned by Rio Tinto and a Chinese-backed consortium, spent years in limbo because of disputes over ownership rights and the complexity and expense of transporting ore to the coast.
Rio Tinto said on Friday it was not making any public comment on Guinea’s move at this stage. The world’s second largest miner owns about 45% of Blocks 3 and 4 of Simandou, while Aluminum Corp. of China (NYSE: ACH) holds 40% and Guinea’s government the remaining 15%. Blocks 1 and 2 are controlled by China-backed SMB Winning Consortium.
“It’s a bold move by Doumbouya, and it may yet come back to bite him,” Eric Humphery-Smith, Senior Africa Analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, said in a note. “This is the culmination of several months of rumblings that now have risen to the surface and boiled over.”
“Caviar of iron ore”
At two billion tonnes in iron ore reserves and some of the highest grades in the industry (66% – 68% Fe, which attracts premium pricing), Simandou is one of the most easily exploitable iron ore deposits outside of Australia’s Pilbara region and Brazil’s.
At full production, the mine is expected to export up to 100 million tonnes per year. Simandou would by itself be the world’s fifth-largest producer behind Fortescue Metals (ASX: FMG, Vale (NYSE: VALE) and BHP (ASX: BHP).
Its development is also crucial China. The nation sees the project, described by Rio’s president of copper operations Bold Baatar as the “Rolls Royce of iron ore”, as an opportunity to wean itself off its reliance on Australia’s iron ore.
Guinea has said any developer of the mine must build a railway spanning the country, even though it adds significant costs and the route to port through neighbouring Liberia is much shorter.
SMB Winning Consortium had already started work on a 650-km (404 miles) railway linking Simandou to the port.
According to Humphery-Smith, Guinea’s decision to suspend all activities at Simandou reflects mostly the “power struggle” between the SMB consortium and Guinean authorities regarding recommendations they made in December in relation to the rail and port infrastructure.
“These developers are used to getting their way as the Guinean government has historically not offered much resistance (…) We don’t expect this to drag on much longer than a couple of months,” he wrote.
TIMELINE: The battle for Simandou
High Power Exploration (HPX), a Canadian mining company controlled by billionaire Robert Friedland, is facing similar transport issues which it hopes to solve by getting access to a Liberian railroad to develop its Nimba project.
“A major attraction when you develop a bulk commodity type project is to be able to be not too far from a port and, even better, to have access to an existing infrastructure,” Guy de Selliers, chairman of Societe des Mines de Fer de Guinee, HPX’s subsidiary in Guinea, told Bloomberg News on Friday. “The location of the project is one of its assets.”
The Liberian government is currently examining an amended agreement to let multiple users access the Yekepa-Buchanan rail line and port, but it’s not clear what the extent of that access will be.
Vancouver-based HPX acquired Nimba in September 2019. Based on a 2015 report by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Nimba holds roughly one billion tonnes of high-grade iron ore.
At full tilt, the mine is expected to churn out 30 million tonnes of high-grade iron ore a year.
(With files from Bloomberg)
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Construction of new pathway for export kicks off www.montsame.mn

In the framework of the ‘New Revival Policy’, the construction of railway en route Zuunbayan - Khangi kicked off today on March 11. The railway connection is considered to be of high significance as it will create a new route for imports and exports.
In his remarks, Prime Minister of Mongolia L.Oyun-Erdene noted that underground mining operations recently commenced at Oyu Tolgoi, and highlighted that the construction project for the 226-km railroad connecting Zuunbayan and Khangi - the second large-scale project being implemented in the framework of the ‘New
Revival Policy - is kicking off today based on public-private partnership.
The railway construction work is planned to be completed in a half-year period.
While about 50 percent of core export products of Mongolia, such as copper and coking coal, are exported through the Gashuunsukhait border checkpoint, over 70 percent of consumer goods are imported through the Zamiin-Uud border checkpoint. As the Khangi border checkpoint is geographically located in the middle of Gashuunsukhait and Zamiin-Uud checkpoints, it is of great strategic importance, mentioned the Prime Minister.
By connecting the Khangi-Mandal checkpoint by rail, Mongolia’s capacity to import and export goods is expected to increase by a total of 20 million tons, with the amount of goods being transported by rail increasing by 65 percent.
He then continued on to say, “This month, the 416-km railroad connecting Tavantolgoi and Zuunbayan will be fully put into operation. In the framework of the ‘New Revival Policy’, the Government of Mongolia is ready to partner with investors and entities in a mutually beneficial way.”
The Government of Mongolia currently aims to start the construction work for connecting the border checkpoints of Bichigt, Shiveekhuren, and Artssuuri by rail as soon as possible, and create a 4,000-5,000 km long railway network in the country.
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“Doing business with Mongolia” seminar and business program May 24-June 01 2022 London UK www.mongolianbusinessdatabase.com

Mongolian Business Database is going to host a Mongolian trade mission to MBCCI's "Doing Business with Mongolia" seminar and business program in London, UK between May 24-June 01. 2022 with support of the British Embassy in UB and Mongolian-British Chamber of Commerce.
The delegates will visit the London Stock Exchange and House of Commons by the special invitation and attend ADMWE's Mongolian European Women's Dinner.
The MBCC is a not-for-profit membership organisation established in 2009 to foster strong business links between Mongolia and the UK. It aims to provide a professional and social environment for business people who wish to be introduced to, and become part of, the British-Mongolian business culture and community.
Please contact at contact@mongolianbusinessdatabase.com or/and 976 99066062 for the registration and related inquiry.
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Roman Abramovich: Sanctions of Chelsea owner by UK government halt club's sale www.bbc.com

Roman Abramovich's attempt to sell Chelsea has been halted after the oligarch was sanctioned by the UK government as part of its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian put the European champions up for sale after the threat of sanctions was raised in Parliament.
The freezing of Abramovich's assets, which include Chelsea, means the club cannot sell further match tickets.
The move is intended to stop Abramovich making money from Chelsea.
The government has issued a special licence that will allow fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket-holders to attend matches.
Season-ticket holders can still attend games for which they have tickets but the club cannot now sell any more tickets.
The club's merchandise shop will also be shut.
The government is open to considering a further addition to the special licence which will allow the sale of the club.
A condition for that to happen would be that Abramovich receives no funds.
He has previously said that proceeds of the sale would be donated to victims of war.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has said the government is "committed to protecting" the club.
"Football clubs are cultural assets and the bedrock of our communities," she tweeted.
"I know this brings some uncertainty, but the government will work with the league and clubs to keep football being played while ensuring sanctions hit those intended.
"Our priority is to hold those who have enabled the Putin regime to account."
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The spring session of Mongolian parliament to bring political reforms www.news.mn

Mongolian parliament or the State Great Khural will open its spring session on 15 March. This year, the parliament is expected to discuss major bills that is to bring sweeping political changes in Mongolia. For example, U.Khurelsukh, President of Mongolia is expected to present the amendments to the law on political parties and political financing to the parliament.
Last year, spring and autumn sessions of Mongolian parliament were mainly held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Under an amendment to the Constitution of Mongolia, parliament needs to hold session of more than 75 days. Therefore, the State Great Khural opened half a month earlier than usual. Previously, spring sessions open on April 1st.
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“Notable” 4.5 magnitude earthquakes shake in western Mongolia www.news.mn

A western Mongolian province of Uvs was affected by two earthquakes on 8 March. According to National Emergence Management Agency, 4.5 magnitude earthquake rattled in Uureg Lake at 09:45 a.m. Soon after another 4.5 magnitude tremor has been recorded approximately 183 km northwest of provincial center of Ulaangom city.
The NEMA also said they had received no reports of damages or injuries and felt “nothing significant.”
Mongolia recorded over 40 thousand earthquakes in 2021.
Compared to 31 earthquakes in 2010, the number of occurrences increased by over 10 times in the last decade.
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Citizens to be involved in comprehensive diagnosis from May 1 www.montsame.mn

On March 8, Prime Minister of Mongolia L.Oyun-Erdene and Minister of Health S.Enkhbold worked at the National Maternal and Child Health Center and the center’s branch in Yarmag area.
During the working visit, the Prime Minister became acquainted with the center’s online registrations as well as its surgical department, delivery and postpartum department, and radiology department. Despite the construction of the hospital launching in 2009, it was put into operation later in 2021 due to financing issues. Alongside offering healthcare assistance and services for mothers and newborns, the medical facility also provided treatment for COVID-19 patients by setting up 1,000 hospital beds.
Currently, there are over 380 doctors and medical specialists working at the hospital. As a result of the special attention put on its operations during the peak of the pandemic, it has officially become the second state-owned hospital to provide healthcare services to mothers and newborns nationwide.
Nine operating rooms equipped with modern equipment have been recently opened. However, due to its distance from the city center, there are certain pressing issues concerning workforce such as lack of accommodation and insufficient kindergartens nearby. In response, the Prime Minister pledged to resolve the issues.
Highlighting how all of the doctors and hospital staff in the healthcare sector played a crucial role in overcoming the pandemic with minimal loss, Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene then thanked the hospital staff and wished success.
With investment from the state budget, all beds used for delivery and postpartum have been renewed nationwide. For instance, 100 percent of the 496 beds used at the National Maternal and Child Health Center have been replaced with new beds. Furthermore, MNT 45 billion in financing have been allocated for works such as constructing extension buildings for two polyclinics of the center as well as renovating all buildings that have yet to undergo repairs since 1987.
By upgrading the medical devices and equipment, it has now become possible for the center to provide four types of surgeries and treatment that have been previously unavailable in Mongolia. The delivery rooms are planned to be renovated by the end of this year.
Noting that the Government will be making an investment of a total of MNT 110 billion for the country’s maternal and child healthcare, Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene said that special attention would be paid to renovating maternity hospitals nationwide, digitizing their operations, and bringing the hospitals up to global standards. As works to involve all Mongolian citizens in comprehensive diagnosis will be launched nationwide from May 1, he then tasked the sector’s authorities to ensure preparations.
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