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

64x64

Individuals with TB face ongoing discrimination www.ubpost.mn

The second forum titled “Civil Society Leadership in Tuberculosis Eradication in Mongolia” was held, focusing on the critical themes of public participation, human rights, and gender equality. Organized collaboratively by the Mongolian anti-Tuberculosis Coalition and the Tuberculosis Professional Branch Council of the Ministry of Health, the forum brought together a diverse group of stakeholders who underscored the pressing nature of tuberculosis as a serious public health concern in the country.
Participants highlighted the alarming reality that tuberculosis continues to pose a significant threat to public health in Mongolia. A key issue raised was the impact of discrimination and stigmatization on the spread of the disease. Many speakers pointed out that individuals suffering from tuberculosis often face bias and discrimination within healthcare facilities, which is a matter that demands urgent attention. This persistent stigma not only deters people from seeking treatment but also contributes to the disease’s proliferation.
Moreover, it was noted that approximately 70 percent of the families of those diagnosed with tuberculosis experience financial difficulties. Last year, nearly 2,360 cases of tuberculosis were reported nationwide, a statistic that further emphasizes the need for collective action to combat this public health crisis.
Dr. Ts.Bazarragchaa, a leading researcher and project director for the Mongolian anti-Tuberculosis Coalition, emphasized the global ambition to eradicate tuberculosis by 2030. He stated, “Our country is committed to achieving this goal. The participation of civil society organizations is crucial, in addition to the efforts of the health sector, to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis.” He pointed out that Mongolia is among the 30 countries leading in tuberculosis infection rates worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for visionary policies and funding to reduce the spread of this disease.
The forum participants stressed the importance of strategically planning collaborative efforts between governmental and civil society organizations to effectively address tuberculosis. In particular, they underscored the necessity of implementing measures to prevent discrimination against individuals affected by the disease.
The forum served as a vital platform for raising awareness and fostering dialogue among stakeholders, reinforcing the collective commitment to combat tuberculosis in Mongolia. Through united efforts, it is hoped that the stigma surrounding the disease can be diminished, ensuring that affected individuals receive the care and support they need without fear of discrimination.
...


64x64

Petro Matad starts oil production in Mongolia www.akipress.com

Petro Matad Limited has announced the start of oil production from its Heron-1 discovery well in its Block XX Production Sharing Contract area in eastern Mongolia.
Commissioning activities on the Heron-1 well pad have been completed and the beam pump was started on 24 October. Clean up of well stimulation fluids is expected to take several days after which various flow rate tests will be performed.
The first load of produced fluid has successfully been transported to the neighbouring Block XIX facilities. The startup ceremony went ahead on 25 October with the presence of Mr. S. Javkhlanbaatar, State Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. L. Bayarmandal, Chairman of the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia and many other senior government officials.
...


64x64

Investors swarm over Mongolian copper-nickel discovery www.stockhead.com.au

After four years of systematic exploration in Mongolia, and with the help of BHP’s Xplor program in 2023, AZ9 has made what it has described as an ‘outstanding’ copper-nickel discovery at the Oval prospect in the Gobi-Altai region.
Drill hole OVD021 hit a massive sulphide intersection of 8.8m at 6.08% copper, 3.19% nickel, 1.63g/t PGEs, 0.11% cobalt from 107.2m in between high-grade zones of:
85m at 0.75% copper, 0.78% nickel, 0.15g/t 3E (PGEs), 0.04% cobalt from 99.35m; and
8m at 1.36% copper, 1.00% nickel, 0.44g/t 3E, 0.04% cobalt from 116m.
AZ9 said the most significant achievement of the drilling has been intercepting massive sulphides, which further confirms that the Oval magmatic sulphide system is rich and capable of forming high-grade ore.
“This is an exceptional result that shows the mineralisation system at Oval has potential for hosting a substantial deposit with a higher-grade zone of copper and nickel,” AZ9 managing director Gan-Ochir Zunduisuren said.
“Future exploration work at the Oval discovery will primarily focus on the extension of the high-grade zone to understand its size, true dip, and orientation.”
The journey of discovery will restart within two weeks at the Yambat project with more drilling planned.
This comes as mining companies scramble for copper supply on the back of constrained output growth due to high costs and depleting ore grade.
BHP, operators of the world’s biggest copper mine in Chile, claims the average grade of copper mines has declined by around 40% since 1991 and expects between one-third and one-half of global copper supply to face grade decline and ageing challenges over the next decade.
Mongolia is famously the home of Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi mine, which is on track to become a 500,000tpa producer via a major underground expansion.
...


64x64

Mongolia and Singapore NOC Presidents meet to discuss future cooperation www.news.mn

Presidents of the Mongolia National Olympic Committee and Singapore National Olympic Committee met to explore future collaborations in the Olympics and the sporting world.
Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and President of the Mongolia National Olympic Committee since 2022, Battushig Batbold, held a meeting with the recently elected President of the National Olympic Committee of Singapore and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, H.E. Grace Fu, on Monday.
Dialogue between the two focused on enhancing sporting cooperation between the two nations with a particular emphasis on Olympic development.
The two Presidents exchanged knowledge and strategies to support athletes while discussing the best ways to promote youth engagement in sports and improve sporting infrastructures.
Expressing a commitment to fostering deeper collaboration, Battushig and Fu explored new avenues for cooperation, such as joint training programs, the exchange of expertise in sports management, and initiatives that focus on sustainability in sports.
As Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, H.E. Grace Fu also highlighted Singapore’s emphasis on environmentally friendly practices echoing the growing global importance of sustainability within sporting activities.
The meeting was a significant step forward in strengthening sporting ties between Mongolia and Singapore with the hope of creating more opportunities for the progression of both nations’ athletes.
...


64x64

President Tokayev to Embark on State Visit to Mongolia Next Week www.astanatimes.com

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a state visit to Mongolia on Oct. 28-29. The visit will feature high-level discussions and the signing of pivotal bilateral agreements.
During his visit, President Tokayev will hold talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Chairman of the Great State Khural (Parliament) Dashzegve Amarbayasgalan, and Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene.
The visit will be Tokayev’s first state visit to Mongolia aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between the two Central Asian neighbors. It comes just a few days after Tokayev traveled to Kazan to participate in the BRICS summit.
...


64x64

ICC Pre-Trial Chamber finds that Mongolia failed to cooperate in arrest and surrender of Vladimir Putin, refers matter to Assembly of States Parties www.akipress.com

Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court found that, by failing to arrest Mr Putin while he was on its territory and surrender him to the Court, Mongolia has failed to comply with the Court’s request to cooperate in this regard contrary to the provisions of the Rome Statute, ICC said.
In view of the seriousness of Mongolia’s failure to cooperate with the Court, the Chamber deemed it necessary to refer the matter to the Assembly of States Parties.
The Chamber reaffirmed that personal immunity, including that of heads of state, is not opposable before the ICC, and no waiver is required. States parties and those accepting the Court's jurisdiction are duty-bound to arrest and surrender individuals subject to ICC warrants, regardless of official position or nationality.
The Chamber highlighted that the ICC operates independently of State involvement, addressing serious international crimes. Under Article 86 of the Rome Statute, all States Parties must fully cooperate with the Court to support its mandate. The Chamber further recalled that the Court performs functions that align with the general interests of the international community by exercising jurisdiction over the most serious international crimes, which include grave breaches of fundamental norms of international law.
...


64x64

Vladimir Putin: the development of project documentation for the transit gas pipeline through Mongolia has been completed www.akm.ru

The development of the design documentation for the Soyuz Vostok gas pipeline with a length of almost 1 thousand km, which will connect Russia, Mongolia and China, has been completed. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a joint statement following talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, according to the Kremlin's website.
The state expertise of the project is currently underway, and an assessment of its environmental impact is being carried out.
It is not only supposed to transit Russian gas through Mongolia. The possibility of gas supplies for Mongolian consumers is being considered. Gazprom is ready to provide the necessary support in practical issues of gasification of the country.
...


64x64

Ulaanbaatar and UNDP Jointly Implementing Project on Supporting Renewable Energy Transition in Ger Districts www.montsame.mn

Deputy Governor of the Capital City of Mongolia in charge of the Social Sector, Green Development, and Air and Environmental Pollution Amartuvshin Amgalanbayar met with the United Nations Development Program Resident Representative Matilda Domovska on October 24, 2024.
At the meeting, Deputy Governor Amartuvshin Amgalanbayar noted that the Memorandum of Understanding between Ulaanbaatar City and the United Nations Development Program was signed in 2016 and expressed his intention to further expand cooperation within the “Supporting Renewable Energy Transition in Ger Districts for Increased Livelihood Benefits” Project jointly organized by Ulaanbaatar City and the UNDP.
Due to the adverse impact of air pollution on human health, Mongolia faces the need to transition to new renewable energy models. Through the two-phase implementation of the Project, 50 households will be provided support in purchasing and installing electric heaters and solar panels for heating purposes, which will facilitate healthy living conditions for vulnerable households, free from indoor air pollutants.
The Project “Supporting Renewable Energy Transition in Ger Districts for Increased Livelihood Benefits” will contribute significantly to the development of Ulaanbaatar City. UNDP Resident Representative Matilda Dimovska expressed her willingness to provide all-round support in strengthening bilateral cooperation to ensure the successful implementation of this Project.
...


64x64

Ten Thousand Hectares of Land Damaged by Mining Extraction Rehabilitated www.montsame.mn

During his tenure as Prime Minister of Mongolia, President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa issued a directive to rehabilitate 8,000 hectares of vacant land damaged by mining operations in 2020-2024. President Khurelsukh visited the Nariinii Am area in Yeruu soum of Selenge aimag, on October 19, 2024, to review the progress of the given tasks.
According to the census conducted in 2020 by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia, over 30,000 hectares of land were damaged, of which more than 29,000 hectares were destroyed by mining, and 8,000 hectares had to be restored urgently.
At the time, Prime Minister of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa made a stand against irresponsible mining, canceled 938 special licenses for mineral exploration and exploitation, charged to rehabilitate damaged areas, and set an objective of “Rehabilitating 8,000 hectares of damaged and abandoned areas due to mining operations" in the 2020-2024 Government Action Plan, reported by Office of the President of Mongolia.
Following the Joint Decree on “Organizing Unified Measures” approved by the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, the Minister of Environment and Tourism, the Minister of Mining and Heavy Industry, and the Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs of Mongolia, the Government of Mongolia has launched “Mining Rehabilitation-2024” activities, carrying out technical reclamation on 9,773 hectares of land and biological restoration on 2,549 hectares in 2020-2023.
Until 2020, less than 1,000 hectares of land have been restored nationwide annually. However, starting in 2020, over 2,000 hectares of land have been rehabilitated. Specifically, the land rehabilitation took place on 912 hectares in 2018, 1,973 hectares in 2020, 2,123 hectares in 2021, 2,189 hectares in 2022, and 3,488 hectares in 2023, respectively.
As part of the “Mining Rehabilitation-2024,” 57 excavators, bulldozers, gold prospecting equipment, trucks, and tools, left vacant outside the guard’s house at the Yalbag Valley of Selenge aimag, were regulated and handed over for inspection. Moreover, the environmental and economic damage caused by the degraded land was calculated. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia has reflected the technical reclamation of damaged and abandoned lands in the annual environmental management plans of enterprises and organizations with mining licenses, and this approach has proven to be effective.
As part of its social responsibility and obligation of activities in biodiversity conservation, the “Erdenet Mining Corporation” SOE has spent about MNT 42 billion to restore over 2,000 hectares of degraded land in Yeruu soum, Selenge aimag. Specifically, Erdenet Mining Corporation carried out technical rehabilitation on 1,230 hectares of land between 2022 and 2023. The enterprise undertook the responsibility of rehabilitating 777 hectares of land in 2024, with 548 hectares completed.
“Oyu Tolgoi” LLC equalized its pledge to plant 100 million trees as part of the “One Billion Trees” National Movement to land rehabilitation, in particular, the company has rehabilitated 400 hectares of land in the Yalbag Valley of Yeruu soum, Selenge aimag, and 215 hectares in Shariingol soum, Darkhan-Uul aimag.
In the future, the following actions will be taken:
-Carrying out technical and biological rehabilitation and reforestation in areas of special importance, including forest funds, water reservoir areas, and key biodiversity areas damaged by illegal mining and artisanal small-scale mining,
-Focusing on intensifying biological rehabilitation as part of the objective of "Improving the quality and oversight of mining rehabilitation, and tightening the accountability for entities that fail to perform land rehabilitation" reflected in the Government Action Program for 2024-2028,
-Taking urgent measures to rehabilitate the areas where gold mining operations took place in 1980-2010 and are unrehabilitated due to residual deposits,
-Confiscating all equipment and machinery used in illegal mineral extraction regardless of the ownership status, and developing legal regulations related to the non-use of equipment that does not meet standards,
-Not weakening regulations on environmental protection and restoration in the draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Minerals,
-Banning artisanal small-scale mining in phases,
-Establishing a system of rewarding mining enterprises and organizations that responsibly fulfill their duties to protect the environment, restore lands, and operate in an eco-friendly manner.
...


64x64

Resource nationalism and political instability: Strategies for risk management www.mining.com

As global demand for minerals and raw materials increases, buoyed by the soaring of certain commodity prices, purported green ambitions, and nationalist fervour, governments have begun wielding a range of regulatory tools and sometimes strong-arm tactics against foreign mining companies in the name of resource nationalism.
The resurgence of resource nationalism—particularly in countries experiencing political upheaval, such as the “Coup Belt” in Francophone Africa—poses a major risk to the ambitions of foreign mining companies and the battery revolution. Beginning with the late Tanzanian President John Magufuli’s so-called “economic war” on foreign mining companies in 2016/2017, a number of African States have followed suit in adopting aggressive nationalistic mining policies that have frequently toed the line between legitimate economic rebalancing and outright rent-seeking.
Tanzanian beginnings
Despite more recent, legitimate efforts to improve its reputation for foreign investment, Tanzania led the way with resource nationalistic overhauls of its legal framework for mining in 2017 and 2018. Tanzania’s “economic war” has served as an exemplar to many African States, particularly in the Coup Belt, which have focused more on the electoral popularity of such measures than on their costly financial aftermath.
Tanzania’s economic war resulted in a rash of legal claims and whilst some of these claims —particularly the one brought by Barrick—settled in such a way that Tanzania could claim a purported “victory”, others have proven needlessly costly.
For instance, in 2023, Canadian gold miner Winshear Gold Corp. reached a $30 million settlement agreement with Tanzania after the government revoked Winshear’s retention licence for its SMP gold project. Similarly, subsidiaries of Australian nickel miner Indiana Resources recently obtained a $90 million settlement with Tanzania (82.5% of the total original Award) over the government’s illegal expropriation of the Ntaka Hill nickel project.
Although Tanzania is not in the Coup Belt, Tanzania’s recent experience will likely serve as a crystal ball for the region—resource nationalism and arbitrary “reforms” come at a significant cost, which could be avoided through simple negotiations rather than heavy-handed tactics.
Key risks for mining companies
Recent coups d’état across West Africa have led to the contemporary resurgence of politically popular, but fiscally irresponsible, measures adopted from Tanzania’s policy playbook, including sweeping changes to mining codes to increase government royalties and free carried interest percentages, increased export duties and the renegotiation of existing mining conventions and mineral development agreements. Such changes have caused increased permitting delays and complete legal uncertainty about how to meet regulatory requirements.
Structuring investments to benefit from BITs
Companies can effectively mitigate the risks associated with resource nationalism by structuring their investments to benefit from the protections offered by bilateral investment treaties (BITs). BITs are agreements between two or more countries that guarantee certain protections to investors, including the right to pursue international arbitration in the event of a dispute.
BITs can protect companies against unlawful expropriation and provide a legal framework for resolving disputes outside of the host country’s jurisdiction. However, investments must be structured through countries that have BITs with the host country.
In the case of Tanzania, investors like Indiana Resources and Winshear successfully pursued compensation for the unlawful revocation of their mining licenses by incorporating subsidiaries through the United Kingdom and Canada, respectively. Notably, Tanzania has recently sought to terminate its BIT with Canada, a move which forces companies to structure their investments through other countries with treaty protections, like Mauritius, whilst underlining the risk that such jurisdictions pose in the first instance.
One of the primary lessons from recent events is that foreign companies should not rely solely on their licenses and agreements with local authorities; they should also explore international legal protections like those described above.
Negotiating robust agreements
Where companies have a direct agreement with the State, they should opt for a “Coup Belt and Braces” approach in negotiating robust agreements whilst also backstopping their investments with structuring that provides access to BITs. In respect of the former option, companies must ensure that their contracts with host governments include clauses that mitigate risks related to resource nationalism, such as:
Stabilization clauses: These clauses protect investors from adverse changes in law or policy after the agreement has been signed by either freezing the regulatory framework in place or providing compensation if new laws negatively impact the investment.
Dispute resolution clauses: Companies should negotiate to include international arbitration as the preferred method of dispute resolution, allowing them to bypass local courts, which may not be impartial or reliable. The same applies for local or regional arbitration centres, which are often untested and are supervised by the very courts foreign investors may wish to avoid.
Companies should avoid putting all their resources in one region, particularly in politically unstable areas. Diversification of assets across different countries reduces the impact of political and regulatory risks in any one location. If problems arise in one country, operations elsewhere can help cushion the financial blow. Many of our clients have been able to pursue their rights in respect of one project whilst providing value to shareholders by advancing another.
Engagement with local stakeholders
Whilst building strong relationships with local communities and stakeholders can help mitigate some risks, it cannot alleviate them entirely. Sadly, there is no evidence that governments are less likely to nationalize assets if companies operating in their country are benefiting local populations through job creation, infrastructure development, and other social programs.
Nevertheless, those efforts are laudable in their own right and provide terrible optics for a state seeking to explain away its nationalization of a mining project to an international tribunal.
Operating in challenging states, particularly those prone to political instability and resource nationalism, presents significant financial and operational risks—illegal expropriation, increased taxes, and revoked licenses, to name a few.
Mitigation of those risks demands adaptability and innovative strategies and frankly, good lawyers. In the current climate, it is down to mining companies to adapt to these challenging environments for as long as states prioritize nationalism over national long-term interest, and politicians in these states favour electoral over generational gain.
Timothy Foden is partner and co-head of the international arbitration group at Boies Schiller Flexner in London. Kristen Young is partner in Washington, D.C. and Rebecca Mee is an associate in London, both specialize in disputes in Francophone Africa.
Boies Schiller Flexner represented Indiana Resources and Winshear Gold in the cases mentioned.
...