Mongolia and China have agreed to develop a joint project document to determine the location of a dust and sand storm station when the pandemic situation subsides.

In this regard, a Mongolia-China joint working group to combat desertification and dust storms convened virtually and exchanged information on the desertification situation in the two countries and technologies to combat this.

On April 23, the parliament approved bills on value-added tax exemption and customs duty exemption.

According to the bills, essential equipment, supplies, and machinery for the agricultural industry, such as tractors, combine and other engineering vehicles, irrigation, forestry, and poultry farming equipment, fertilizers and plant protection products, equipment for greenhouse farming will be exempted from value-added tax and customs duty.

The law on value-added tax exemption will be effective until January 1, 2025, and the customs duty exemption law’s effective date is set until January 1, 2022.

The exemptions granted to the agricultural equipment and machinery will help stabilizing the farming industry production, improving the economic capacity of farmers, introducing new advanced technologies into the agricultural industry, supporting employment in the agricultural and farming businesses.

India saw the world’s biggest one-day jump in coronavirus cases ever as a ferocious new wave grips the country, overwhelming hospitals and crematoriums and prompting frantic cries for help on social media.

The South Asian nation reported 314,835 new infections Thursday, topping a peak of 314,312 recorded in the U.S. on Dec. 21. People took to Twitter and Instagram to call for everything from hospital beds to medicine and doorstep Covid-19 tests.

The grim milestone shows how the pandemic crisis has shifted firmly to the developing world, where variants and complacency are threatening containment measures and there’s a lack of vaccines, with supplies dominated by richer nations.

India now has almost 16 million cases, the second-most globally, as it struggles to provide enough shots for its 1.3 billion people despite being home to the world’s biggest vaccine manufacturer. Lower vigilance around masks and social distancing have contributed to the resurgence, with large religious festivals and elections allowed to take place with few precautions.

It stands in contrast to America, where cases are on a downward trend, helped in part by aggressive vaccinations. Even at the height of its outbreak, the U.S. only reported more than 300,000 cases on two days.

India’s second wave is also more lethal after the country saw fewer fatalities than other developing nations earlier in the pandemic, puzzling experts. Covid-related deaths have jumped to more than 184,000, still trailing the U.S., Brazil and Mexico, according to Johns Hopkins data.

As the Virus Surges, Modi Urges India's States to Shun Lockdowns

A health worker at a makeshift Covid-19 quarantine facility in New Delhi, on April 21.Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg

On Bharath Pottekkat’s Instagram feed, one message screams “Mumbai please help! Lungs damaged due to pneumonia infection. In need of ICU bed.” Another reads “Plasma urgently required for treatment of Covid patient in Max Hospital, Delhi.” More follow. “Urgently needed Tocilizumab injection. Please DM if you know of stock in and around Mumbai.”

The relatively slow pace of vaccinations is adding to the problem. India has administered more than 132 million vaccine doses, according to data from its health ministry. That’s enough to cover only about 4.8% of its population, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker.

Modi Under Fire for Campaigning as India Reels From Virus Deaths

New Virus Wave Sparks Fresh Worker Exodus From India’s Cities

The outbreak threatens to derail the Indian economy, which had just begun to recover after a nationwide lockdown last year pushed it into a historic recession. A new virus variant with a double mutation has also been detected locally, and concerns are growing that it’s driving the new wave.

New Delhi’s largest hospital chain operator rushed to court Wednesday night to seek critical oxygen supply after 1,400 Covid-19 patients across the Indian capital were put at risk due to “dangerously low” supply levels.

Why Covid-19 in India Is a Problem for the World

The Delhi High Court’s two-judge panel headed by Justic Vipin Sanghi expressed “shock and dismay” over the government’s neglect and directed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration to “beg, borrow, steal” but ensure adequate oxygen supply for hospitals.

“This is just bad planning. Why didn’t we foresee this? This is not rocket science,” Justice Sanghi said during the hearing.

The late-night courtroom drama, with the state and federal government lawyers bickering over oxygen supplies to the national capital, which has among the best health-care infrastructure in the country, is a grim indicator of a worse situation in the hinterlands.

Hong Kong (CNN Business)The Australian government has canceled a Belt and Road agreement signed by China and the state government of Victoria, escalating trade and diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Canberra.

Victoria — the country's second largest and wealthiest state — signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the Chinese government in October 2018, the only government in Australia to sign up for Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature global infrastructure initiative.

Part of Xi's vision for China's future economic growth, the BRI is intended to build new trade corridors between Europe and Asia, following the path of the historic silk road. While other countries that have joined the BRI have received large scale funding from Beijing, the deal between China and Victoria appeared to be aimed more at encouraging future investment and trade.

In a statement Wednesday night, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the federal government had evaluated "more than 1,000" deals between Australia's states and territories and foreign governments.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne talks to media during a press conference at Parliament on April 22 in Wellington, New Zealand.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne talks to media during a press conference at Parliament on April 22 in Wellington, New Zealand.

In total, four deals were canceled, two with China and one each with Iran and Syria, all signed by the Victorian government.

"I consider these four arrangements to be inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations," Payne said in her statement.

The move was made under new a legislation passed last December, which experts saw as squarely targeted at the deal between Victoria and China.

Speaking to Australian radio on Thursday, Payne said the decision wasn't directed at any particular country. However the Chinese embassy in Australia denounced the cancellation in a statement, expressing Beijing's "strong displeasure and resolute opposition."

"This is another unreasonable and provocative move taken by the Australian side against China. It further shows that the Australian government has no sincerity in improving China-Australia relations," the statement said, adding that the cancellation will only "further damage" relations between the two countries.

China and Australia are already in the middle of a worsening diplomatic crisis, with relations between the two governments at record lows since Canberra's call for an international investigation into the origins of Covid-19 in April 2020.

Since then, millions of dollars of Australian imports have encountered difficulties entering the Chinese market, including timber, beef and some types of coal. In March, the Chinese government confirmed that Australian wine would face tariffs of up to 218% for five years due to allegations of "dumping and [market] damage."

Overall, Chinese investment in Australia dropped by 62% in 2020, down to just $775 million.

The US has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by the end of this decade.

This new target, which will be unveiled at a virtual summit of 40 global leaders, essentially doubles their previous promise.

The Americans hope that their ambitious new plan will encourage China, India and others to go further before the crucial COP26 meeting, in Glasgow in November.

But there will be some scepticism about the ability of the US to deliver on its new target, given the divided nature of American politics.

The UK is among the countries that have been keen to show their ambition ahead of the meeting. Earlier in the week, the prime minister announced a "world-leading" target for the UK to cut emissions by 78% on 1990 levels by 2035.

The UK is playing a critical role this year as president of COP26, and is tasked with achieving agreement in Glasgow when world leaders meet there in November.

Biden's ambition will be challenged

Climate has been the central focus of the Biden administration's first few months in office.

As well as rejoining the Paris climate pact and organising Thursday's summit, the Biden team have been working on a strong pledge to convince the world that they mean business.

Many commentators had pushed the US to go for a 50% cut in emissions as a clear signal of intent.

The fact that President Biden is prepared to go beyond this level will be a welcome surprise to many scientists and campaigners.

"By announcing a bold target of cutting emissions 50-52% below 2005 by the end of the decade, President Biden has met the moment and the urgency that the climate crisis demands," said Nathaniel Keohane from the US Environmental Defense Fund.

"This target aligns with what the science says is necessary to put the world on the path to a safer climate, and vaults the US into the top tier of world leaders on climate ambition."

The new pledge will mean huge changes to the American way of life. Coal will have to disappear from the electricity mix, while gas guzzling cars and trucks will have to go electric.

But announcing an ambitious target is one thing - turning it into reality is another.

While the Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives, the Senate is essentially deadlocked, making the passage of new climate legislation rather tricky.

"It seems to me that President Biden is in a bit of a bind, and he has to deal with the Congress that he has," said Samantha Gross from the Brookings Institution.

"But I believe that Congress, particularly the Republicans haven't really kept up with increasing concern among the American public about climate."

Despite serious tensions between the US and China on a host of issues, both sides seem keen to keep climate change separate from these disputes.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, a senior administration official spoke warmly about the co-operative approach.

"It's quite clear that there is a distinctly shared level of ambition. Both countries see this as a crisis. Both countries see the need for action in the 2020s. Both countries see the need to work towards holding the increase in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees," he said.

"We certainly hope that President Xi will come to the meeting, and further elaborate on some of the additional efforts that China would choose to make. But I think we've got a very strong basis in the joint statement that the two countries made about the directions they seem to be moving."

Xi

IMAGE COPYRIGHTSTR

image captionDespite some earlier uncertainty, China President Xi Jinping will address the US summit

But for other countries who have been slow to embrace action on climate change, the Biden team were less effusive.

Both Brazil and Australia's sceptical approach to the issue had found favour in the Trump White House. That's no longer the case.

"At the moment, I think that our colleagues in Australia recognise that there's going to have to be a shift," one official said.

"It's insufficient to follow the existing trajectory, and hope that they will be on a course to deep decarbonisation, and getting to net zero emissions by mid-century."

Speaking about Brazil, the same official said: "The expectation for all countries is that the ambition has to be increased immediately."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to tell the virtual White House meeting: "The UK has shown that it's possible to slash emissions while growing the economy, which makes question of reaching net zero not so much technical as political.

"If we actually want to stop climate change, then this must be the year in which we get serious about doing so.

"Because the 2020s will be remembered either as the decade in which world leaders united to turn the tide, or as a failure."

In addition to the US pledge, there are also expected to be new steps announced by a number of countries.

"The three that I think are most likely beside the US to step up at this summit are Canada, Japan and South Korea," said Helen Mountford from the World Resources Institute (WRI).

"China... would be fantastic, but I think [we] quite likely might wait longer, I wouldn't expect it at this time."

She added: "India is a real question mark, but whether they're going to announce either a net zero target or enhanced plan, I would say there's less of a chance of that."

For those who were involved in the negotiations that led to the Paris agreement in 2015, the key thing this week is not to derail the discussions at the first hurdle.

This is the first big climate meeting of a critical year that will culminate in a gathering of around 200 world leaders in Glasgow in November at COP26.

"I think that for the US leaders summit to be a success, we need to have the 40 leaders present and expressing their willingness to reach strong agreement by Glasgow," said Remy Rioux, who was a negotiator for France during the Paris talks.

"And also for the US to demonstrate that they are back, and that they are back as convincingly and strongly as possible."

Daily COVID-19 press briefing for today, April 22, by the Ministry of Health reported that 1,328 new coronavirus cases were detected in the past 24 hours after more than 10,000 tests were carried out at PCR laboratories across the country.

In specific, 1,245 new cases were confirmed in Ulaanbaatar city, three cases are imported cases from abroad, and 80 cases were detected in rural regions, including Zavkhan, Darkhan-Uul, Orkhon, Erdenet, Uvs, Khovd, Selenge, Tuv and Khentii aimags.

As a result, the nationwide infection tally is now 26,692, with the cases registered in the capital city reached 23,141.

In the last 24 hours, 426 coronavirus patients were recovered and discharged from hospital, making the number of COVID-19 recoveries 13,722. As of April 22, a total of 3,789 coronavirus patients are being treated at hospitals in Ulaanbaatar city and in the rural aimags. And another 5,140 coronavirus patients who are experiencing a mild disease are being treated at home while taking home isolation precautions.

The National Center for Communicable Diseases, the primary healthcare organization in the country responding to the pandemic, also reported five new COVID-19 related deaths, raising the country's death toll to 61. The casualties are COVID-19 patients aged between 48-90 years old, who were staying at hospitals in Ulaanbaatar city.

(Kuala Lumpur) Asian real estate technology group, Juwai IQI, today announced that the company has established an exclusive strategic partnership with Mongolia’s leading property players, Oly.mn and leading brokerage company RE/MAX Mongolia. Oly.mn will represent Juwai IQI in Mongolia through its platform exclusively under associate partner status.

In a joint statement released by all parties, the partnership will enable listings on either websites to be syndicated to the other free of charge, increasing exposure for all property listings from local real estate companies in the respective markets.

Juwai IQI Co-Founder and Group Executive Chairman Georg Chmiel said:

“We are excited to establish a strategic partnership with the leading property players in Mongolia, Oly.mn and RE/MAX Mongolia. The partnership will see Oly.mn and RE/MAX Mongolia operate as Juwai IQI Mongolia. They will adopt Juwai IQI’s brand and technology and this partnership not only represents a significant milestone for all parties, but also one for our users; the thousands of Asian property seekers, sellers and investors who want to be Global Residents in Asia.

“The Mongolian property market is considered to be one of the best destinations in Asia for property ownership. With its regulatory framework on title and property rights, great tax policies and no exchange controls, there is strong interest from Asian buyers and investors looking to get into the property market there.

“Our dedication to empowering Asian consumers to be global residents of the world is unwavering. Working closely with strategic partners, Oly.mn and RE/MAX Mongolia, we will now be able to deliver a Juwai IQI experience that meets the unique needs of the property market in Mongolia.”

Juwai IQI Group Co-Founder and CEO Kashif Ansari said:

“The expansion into Mongolia via our partnership with Oly.mn and RE/MAX Mongolia makes it easier for us to help investors from other countries who want to purchase real estate in Mongolia and at the same time, help Mongolians invest in property overseas. By operating under the Juwai IQI Mongolia brand, we will not only expand the brand's global reach, but it also reinforces our continued focus on technology and pioneering the real estate experience in international markets.”

“We are excited to welcome Oly.mn and RE/MAX Mongolia to the Juwai IQI family.”

Oly.mn Chief Executive Officer, Amartuvshin Ariunbold said:

“We are impressed with Juwai IQI’s growth journey over the past few years. They have done a great job developing the company and positioning it as one of Asia’s leading real estate technology groups. By operating under the same brand, Juwai IQI Mongolia, we are not only opening up the property market in Mongolia to the world, but we are also giving Mongolians the opportunity to purchase and rent property overseas with ease.

“To make it seamless for Mongolians to make an informed decision when it comes to purchasing a property overseas, details of the listings on Juwai IQI will be featured in the Mongolian language along with local currency.

“I'm excited about the opportunity. We have a strong position in the market, and through this partnership, we will now be able to create an even greater outcome to deliver excellence in client service and lead the industry through innovation and constant improvement.”

RE/MAX Mongolia Co-Regional Owner, Bujinlkham said:

“The relationship with Juwai IQI represents a powerful opportunity for RE/MAX Mongolia to significantly expand our presence in China and Asia, a vibrant and very important market. This partnership allows us to create the next evolution of real estate marketing and sales, delivering an incredibly unique value proposition for real estate agents, property developers as well as buyers and sellers of property in Mongolia.

“Together, we will now be able to connect discerning buyers and investors directly to the world's best properties and connect them with the best-in-class agents from Juwai IQI.”

The Mongolian government has offered loans of 563.5 billion Mongolian Tugriks (about 197.7 million U.S. dollars) to entities and citizens via commercial banks as part of employment support measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said on Wednesday.

At present, 1,228 entities and 6,870 individuals have received the job support loans with an interest rate of 3 percent, the government's press office said in a statement.

The loans are part of a comprehensive plan involving 10 trillion Mongolian Tugriks (about 3.5 billion dollars) announced by the government in February to protect public health and recover the virus-hit economy.

As of Wednesday, Mongolia, with a population of 3.3 million, has registered a total of 25,364 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 62 related deaths. Enditem

On April 19, 2021, the Mongolian government publicly announced additional flights for foreign citizens who wish to depart Mongolia.

As of today, the Embassy is aware of the following flights to destinations with connections to the United States. These dates are subject to change and there is a possibility that the fights may not operate at all.

FLT NO DEPARTURE ARRIVE DATE

TOKYO

OM501 ULN 1000 NRT 1535 1-May

OM502 NRT 1635 ULN 2125 1-May

SEOUL

OZ5683 ICN 2000 ULN 2300 1-May

OZ5673 ULN 0120 ICN 0530 2-May

SEOUL

OM7301 ULN 1040 ICN 1450 5-May

OM7302 ICN 1620 ULN 1900 5-May

SEOUL

OM7301 ULN 1040 ICN 1450 7-May

OM7302 ICN 1620 ULN 1900 7-May

SEOUL

KE8868 ICN 1920 ULN 2200 11-May

KE8867 ULN 0100 ICN 0510 12-May

SEOUL

OM7301 ULN 1040 ICN 1450 13-May

OM7302 ICN 1620 ULN 1900 13-May

FRANKFURT

OM1371 ULN 1000 SVX 1145 14-May

OM1371 SVX 1245 FRA 1450 14-May

OM1372 FRA 1620 SVX 0005(+1) 14-May

OM1372 SVX 0105 ULN 0830 15-May

TOKYO

OM501 ULN 1000 NRT 1535 15-May

OM502 NRT 1635 ULN 2125 15-May

PUSAN

BX4135 PUS 1800 ULN 2100 15-May

BX4145 ULN 0100 ICN 0510 16-May

SEOUL

OM7301 ULN 1040 ICN 1450 19-May

OM7302 ICN 1620 ULN 1900 19-May

SEOUL

OM7301 ULN 1040 ICN 1450 21-May

OM7302 ICN 1620 ULN 1900 21-May

TOKYO

OM501 ULN 1000 NRT 1535 26-May

OM502 NRT 1635 ULN 2125 26-May

FRANKFURT

OM1371 ULN 1000 SVX 1145 26-May

OM1371 SVX 1245 FRA 1450 26-May

OM1372 FRA 1620 SVX 0005(+1) 26-May

OM1372 SVX 0105 ULN 0830 27-May

SEOUL

KE8868 ICN 1920 ULN 2200 27-May

KE8867 ULN 0100 ICN 0510 28-May

ISTANBUL

TBD IST TBD ULN TBD 28-May

TBD ULN TBD IST TBD 28-May

SEOUL

OM7301 ULN 1040 ICN 1450 29-May

OM7302 ICN 1620 ULN 1900 29-May

Tickets can be obtained from local ticketing agents, such as Airlink, AirTrans or Airmarket. To request a reservation on the MIAT flights, please contact the MIAT Mongolian Airlines call center at +976 11-333-999.

The Embassy does not know the price of tickets. You will be required to pay MIAT Mongolian Airlines directly for your travel. Though the Embassy does not endorse the services of MIAT Mongolian Airlines, it is recommended that you book your onward travel to the United States at the same time you pay for your flight from Mongolia. Doing so will ensure that you do not risk quarantine at your transfer point.

If you require financial assistance to pay for your travel to the United States, please clearly indicate this in your email. The Embassy is able to provide such assistance and your timely request will ensure that you receive the funds needed to return home.

Please continue to check the CDC’s COVID-19-specific website and the page for international travelers in order to stay updated on relevant regulations and rule changes for travel: https://www.cdc.gov/corona.../2019-ncov/travelers/index.html. All travelers two years of age or older, including United States citizens, arriving in the United States are required to present a negative viral test for COVID-19 performed on a specimen collected during the three days preceding the traveler’s departure. Alternatively, if the passenger has recovered from COVID-19, the passenger may instead travel with written or electronic documentation of a positive viral test result that confirms previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and a letter from a licensed health care provider or public health official stating that the traveler has been cleared for travel. More information on this requirement can be found at the CDC’s website.

Should you experience difficulties with the above process please contact the Consular Section by calling +976 7007-6001 during business hours to request assistance.

The cabinet yesterday, April 21, convened for a weekly regular session.

At the meeting, the cabinet backed a decision to file a counterclaim by bringing Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill Resources as parties in the tax dispute concerning the Oyu Tolgoi gold-copper mining project. The decision is made on the basis of advice given by a law firm providing legal consulting services to the government Mongolia.

According to the press release issued by the cabinet secretariat, the government’s working group in charge of settling issues on the Oyu Tolgoi project benefits has been maintaining regular communications with the law firm and is developing a well founded response.

While considering it is necessary to raise a counterclaim on three issues in order to ensure Mongolia’s interests and safeguarding its position, the government today authorized the Ministry Finance, Ministry Justice and Internal Affairs and corresponding government agencies to file counterclaim and gave orders to take required measures.

The aforementioned issues include claims that Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill Resources may have breached contracts and that public service officials may have granted undue advantages to foreign investors in connection with the Oyu Tolgoi project through the use of illegal and corrupt practices.

On February 20, Oyu Tolgoi LLC, jointly owned by Erdenes Oyu Tolgoi LLC on behalf of the Government of Mongolia (34 percent) and Turquoise Hill Resources (66 percent), initiated an international arbitration proceeding at the London Court of International Arbitration in line with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Arbitration Rules in accordance with the tax assessment issued by the Mongolian Tax Authority relating to an audit on taxes imposed and paid by Oyu Tolgoi between 2013 and 2015 and another decision made by Mongolian Professional Inspection Agency relating to unpaid royalties on Oyu Tolgoi molybdenum.

The Mongolian Government was supposed to submit a response by February 20, 2021, to the case raised by Oyu Tolgoi LLC in compliance with the arbitration dispute resolution schedule. However, the deadline has been postponed by a relevant arbitration composition until April 30, 2021, as Oyu Tolgoi LLC requested on January 7, 2021, to update matters in the arbitration concerning the new tax assessment issued by Mongolian Tax Authority to fulfill conditions set by the clause 14.1 in Oyu Tolgoi’s Investment Agreement.