The 2030 Water Resources Group aims to ensure sustainable water resources management for the long-term development and economic growth of world countries.

Congratulating Mongolia for approving the Water Law, Mr. Paul Bulcke extended thanks to President Kh.Battulga for his support and leadership for the law adoption.

Mr. Paul Bulcke said “The new law leads to an establishment of Water Agency in charge of water issues, control over which were previously split into a number of government ministries and agencies, and becoming an example of a policy change for world countries.”

It was also agreed that the Water Resources Group to cooperate with Mongolia by sending its working team to study the enforcement and outcomes of the law.

The sides also exchanged opinions on using surface water in mining and accumulation of grey water and ice and snow and the Mongolian President noted his willingness to introduce cutting-edge technologies in the given areas.

No confirmed cases of coronavirus in Mongolia. However, by a Deputy Prime Minister’s resolution, Mongolia is considered to be at high risk of spread of the coronavirus originated from its southern neighbor, China.

The cabinet ordered to close off all universities, higher education institutions and vocational training centers and international children camp Nairamdal until March 2, 2020.

On January 24, Friday, the State Emergency Commission decided to close all schools and kindergartens in the country from January 27, 2020 to March 2, 2020.

Education Minister and relevant authorities were charged to conduct online and tele-courses of preschool and secondary school education during this period.

The cabinet ordered to cancel all kinds of public gatherings, which include activities of training centers, cyber gaming centers, public tour, children playground center and driving schools, etc.

It was also resolved to close border crossings with China for auto vehicles and pedestrian traffic, starting Monday, January 27.

To ensure that hospitals are ready if the coronavirus makes its way to the country, the cabinet gave an order to acquire all necessary medical equipment and materials, and government’s reserve fund will finance the expenses of the emergency procurement and salaries of doctors and medical employees who are working on alert.

Additional 150 beds are prepared at the National Center for Communicable Diseases of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar, reports the Health Minister D.Sarangerel. She further informed that a test equipment to detect the new virus will be brought from Japan on Monday, January 27.

There are currently 31 Mongolian students living in Wuhan, China and they will be brought home within January 27, Monday, by working together with Chinese side, says Deputy Prime Minister U.Enkhtuvshin.

In accordance with the 2004 agreement between the governments of Mongolia and China on border points’ working regime, border crossings for auto vehicles are set to close on public holidays of the two countries. There are 12 border crossings between Mongolia and China for auto vehicles.

International railway and flights will stay on regular schedules on these days.

Yesterday, January 26, the cabinet summoned an emergency meeting regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus and gave and order to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to strengthen the controls at border crossings within January 20, and to limit the auto vehicles’ and pedestrian traffics through the border crossings.

The President met Greta during the World Economic Forum which is taking place at the Swiss resort of Davos.

The International Youth Green Games is expected to welcome over 4000 athletes from 195 UN member countries. Athletes will be aged up to 18.

The sports programme is composed of archery, athletics, basketball 5×5 and 3×3, chess, climbing, cricket, e-sports, fencing, football, jujitsu, judo, kurash, sambo, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and wrestling. There will be other categories incorporated into the sports programme: Paralympic – athletics and basketball; Special Olympics – chess and fencing; Deaflympics – judo and volleyball.

The main purpose of the games is to introduce through sports the United Nations ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ to young people who are the future of the planet.

Mongolia has been a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) since 2002; it also acceded to a number of international conventions in regards to Intellectual property rights including copyright. The Mongolian Constitution itself includes an article on copyright issues, setting out the framework for development in accordance with international standards and practice.

If there is a copyright infringement, the physical person or legal entity shall be held to account and sanctioned under the Mongolian Criminal Code; damages will be determined under the Civil Code.

‘The Hu’ hit number 21 on the UK Top 40 last year with the release of their debut album ‘The Gereg’ – a first for any Mongolian act.

Musically, the quartet’s unique ‘hunnu’ sound is a mesh of rock/metal dynamics, khoomei-style throat singing and traditional Mongolian horsehead fiddles (morin khuur), lute (topshur) and flute (tsuur).

The band – Galbadrakh ‘Gala’ Tsendbaatar, lead throat singing/morin khuur, Enkhasaikhan ‘Enkush’ Batjargal, lead morin khuur/throat singing, Nyamjantsan ‘Jaya’ Galsanjamtsa, jaw harp/tsuur/flute/throat singing, Temuulen ‘Temka’ Naranbaatar, topshur/backing vocals – first rose to international fame last year when the videos for their songs ‘Wolf Totem’ and ‘Yuve Yuve Yu’ became a viral sensation, racking up millions of views online.

In 2020, the group will also be visiting Australia and Japan.

Former Prime Minister Saikhanbileg is currently facing four charges stemming from his role in negotiating a 2015 agreement with mining firm Rio Tinto for the development and foreign investment in the Oyu Tolgoi underground copper mine project located in Khanbogd sum, prospectively the largest mining development in the country’s history. “The charges against Saikhanbileg are thoroughly without merit and lack evidence,” says lawyer Robert Amsterdam, founder of Amsterdam & Partners LLP.

“What we have in this case is a textbook example of the abuse of the anti-corruption process to commit a grave injustice, including direct personal interventions by Government officials with judges to rig politically motivated outcomes against their opponents,” says Amsterdam. “Former Prime Minister Saikhanbileg is innocent of these farcical charges, and we intend to shine a light on the abuses being committed in this case.”

After being unlawfully detained in Mongolia without proper judicial orders, former Prime Minister Saikhanbileg is currently in the United States. Numerous other members of the opposition Democratic Party, the independent judiciary, and members of media have come under intense pressure since the 2017 election of President Battulga Khaltmaa. Organisations such as Transparency International and Amnesty International have issued sharp warnings about President Battulga’s expansion of presidential powers, including a new law he passed allowing him to dismiss judges and senior members of the nation’s legal system via his role as chairman of the National Security Council.

“Former Prime Minister Saikhanbileg negotiated these mining agreements with full transparency and parliamentary authority conforming to the letter of the law,” says Amsterdam. “This baseless campaign of persecution represents not only an attack on the country’s judicial system, but also damages Mongolia’s foreign investment profile by engaging in blatant resource nationalism.”

Amsterdam & Partners LLP intends to explore a broad range of response options on behalf of former Prime Minister Saikhanbileg, with further announcements coming soon.

Coronaviruses are common among animals but some of them can jump species, which is what happened with the SARS virus, to which the new one is related. Once it does jump species, the virus can be passed from human to human. Since the outbreak, hundreds have been infected and health authorities around the world are on red alert for more outbreaks.
The effect of the disease on oil prices is likely to be limited regionally, if the SARS epidemic is any indication. At the time, Bloomberg recalls, Asian airlines registered an 8-percent decline in annual traffic, according to data from the International Air Transport Association, but carriers elsewhere were much less affected.

So, while the actual effect on demand for jet fuel and, related to it, crude oil, would be limited, it is the uncertainty about demand prospects that may drive prices down.

“While an OPEC supply response could limit the fundamental impact from such a demand shock, the initial uncertainty on the potential scope of the epidemic could lead to a larger price sell-off than fundamentals suggest,” Goldman’s Damian Courvalin and Callum Bruce wrote in a note.
make the lethal leap?
Oil prices were already trending lower when Bloomberg reported the news, pressured by an Energy Information Administration forecast that US shale production is set for another monthly increase next month, to reach a total 9.2 million barrels daily.

Countries have been intensifying efforts to stop the spread of the pathogen – known by its technical name 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) – as the number of cases jumped, raising concerns in the middle of the world’s biggest annual human migration as Chinese travel to celebrate the lunar new year holiday with their families.

In Mongolia, six people with symptoms of flu arrived from Hong Kong and India at Chinggis Khaan airport; as a precaution they were isolated and examined. Fortunately, the people in question were diagnosed with normal flu viruses: Type A and B.

Over 1000-2000 passengers travel through Chinggis Khaan airport daily: 300-400 of them are from China.

Steppe said the fund, managed by a subsidiary of the government's Development Bank of Mongolia, had subscribed for a 12% two-year secured convertible debenture of the company in the principal amount of US$3 million.

"This historic partnership with the Mongolian National Investment Fund is another important milestone for Steppe Gold," chairman and founder Matthew Wood said.

"As we build the premier precious metals company in Mongolia, we are especially pleased to see the continued strong support from local institutions, who share our passion for developing the substantial mineral wealth of the country."

Wood stepped back as Steppe's president and CEO in December, with founding director Bataa Tumur-Ochir appointed to the roles as the company started gold production at its ATO mine, which it had acquired from Centerra Gold in 2017.

Steppe is aiming to produce 60,000 ounces at ATO in 2020 and is completing a feasibility study into an expansion to boost production to 150,000oz per year.

The company had announced plans to raise C$2 million (US$1.5 million) in December through a placement at 90c per share, for exploration and development in Mongolia and for working capital.

Steppe listed on the TSX in May 2018 after completing a C$25 million IPO at $2 per unit.

Its shares were unchanged yesterday at 83c, capitalising it about $35 million (US$27 million).

ATO's progress has occurred as Mongolia's parliament in December effectively confirmed investment agreements regarding the Rio Tinto-operated Oyu Tolgoi mine but instructed the government to seek improvements, following an 18-month review.

Meanwhile Mongolia's former prime minister Chimediin Saikhanbileg has reportedly retained international defence counsel after being charged over his role in negotiating a 2015 agreement with Rio Tinto.