How India is helping Mongolia’s space flight dreams www.indianexpress.com

Last week, India and the landlocked nation of Mongolia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation and usage of outer space for civilian purposes. An MoU on disaster management was also signed during Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga’s State Visit to India.

Intern'l campus of the University of Seoul to be established in Tuv aimag www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Sports Yo.Baatarbileg received delegates led by Chancellor of University of Seoul (UOS) Soon Tak Suh.

India-funded oil refinery in Mongolia to be completed by 2022-end: Pradhan www.energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com

New Delhi: The USD 1 billion oil refinery being built with Indian aid in Mongolia will be completed by December 2022 and will meet about three-fourths of Mongolian oil requirement, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday. The minister for petroleum and natural gas was speaking at a meeting attended by a Mongolian business delegation led by the country's President Khaltmaagiin Battulga, who is on a five-day visit to India.

"India and Mongolia, enjoy cordial relations and a warm friendship. The historic visit of Prime Minster Narendra Modi to Mongolia in 2015 led to a paradigm shift in India-Mongolia relations. The construction of USD 1 billion oil refinery with 1.5 million metric tonne capacity with Indian assistance is a shining example of our friendship," the minister said.

State-run Engineers India Ltd (EIL) is providing engineering consultancy services for this prestigious refinery project in Mongolia which will be completed by December 2022, and will meet about three-fourths of Mongolian requirement of oil, Pradhan said.

A project of this magnitude will help develop ancillary industries related to refinery and pipeline operations. This would directly and indirectly promote associated economic activities in Mongolia, he added.

The Mongolian President said his visit to India provides opportunities to further broaden and strengthen ties in all sectors.

"During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mongolia, India extended soft loan credit line of one billion dollars for construction of oil refinery in Mongolia. Today we are concluding the construction of roads, railways and power line for the refinery. The construction of refinery provides many opportunities for Mongolian and Indian entrepreneurs," Battulga said.

Cooperation in the field of information and technology is another area to work together, he said.

Elaborating on India-Mongolia ties in the energy sector, Pradhan said, "I understand that the first India-Mongolia Oil and Gas Expo held in May 2019 in Ulaanbaatar, with participation of 30 renowned Indian companies, enabled to explore the possibilities in Mongolia in energy sector."

He further said the mining sector in Mongolia, which accounts for more than one-fifth of the country's GDP, is an attractive area for joint exploration of copper, rare earth metals and gold.

Mongolia has rich natural resources including coking coal and can support India's demand for these resources, he said.

Pradhan also invited Mongolia to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

The ISA was jointly launched by Prime Minister Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015.

It is a major global initiative for contributing to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy.

"Mongolia is blessed with over 250 days of sunshine in a year over its vast and scarcely populated area. We would welcome Mongolia joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which will not only improve renewable energy supplies but also open new business possibilities," Pradhan said.

India-Mongolia Relation www.successinfuture.com

Recently, the Mongolian President visited India. During the visit both the countries emphasized not only the expansion of strategic partnerships but also the conversion of a strategic relationship into the spiritual brotherhood.

The two countries have also signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on Space Cooperation and Disaster Management that will provide a new dimension to the India-Mongolia strategic partnership.
A joint statement on space cooperation would allow “peaceful exploration” of outer space and include remote sensing and weather forecasting services for both the countries.
Both sides took stock of the project to build a Cyber Security Training Centre to be established in Mongolia with Indian support.
The scope of India and Mongolia regular military exercises named “Nomadic Elephant” and “Khaan Quest” is expected to be broadened.
The year 2020 will mark the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia.

Timeline of India-Mongolia Relations
The common Buddhist heritage and civilizations link two countries and peoples.
India established diplomatic relations with Mongolia in 1955 as Mongolia declared India as a “spiritual neighbour” and strategic partner
Mongolia along with India and Bhutan co-sponsored the famous UN Resolution for the recognition of Bangladesh as an independent country in 1972.
The first-ever visit by PM to Mongolia was in 2015 marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia.
Mongolia has been traditionally supporting India in the United Nations and various other international forums.
Mongolia voted in favour of India’s proposal to Yoga’s inscription into the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Mongolia has publicly reiterated its support for India’s membership to the permanent seat of expanded UNSC.
India has been helping Mongolia to develop infrastructure, health sector and to expand education and employment opportunities in the country.
SAMVAAD dialogue

SAMVAAD dialogue brings Buddhist religious leaders, experts and scholars from different countries together to deliberate on contemporary issues related to Buddhism.
“Samvaad”, is a derivative of the Sanskrit word “Samvadam” [meaning “Dialogue”]
The conference urged open and truthful global dialogue on conflicts and the environment.
General Assembly of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP)

It was initiated at Ulaanbaatar, (Mongolia) in 1969-70 as a voluntary movement of followers of Lord Buddha, both monks and lay, striving to disseminate and implement the teachings of the Enlightened One on peace and harmony, compassion and loving-kindness for all sentient beings on Earth.
It aims to bring together the efforts of Buddhists in support of consolidating universal peace, harmony, and cooperation among peoples of Asia.
The year 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Assembly of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and H.E. Mr Khaltmaagiin Battulga, President of Mongolia, jointly unveiled a statue of Lord Buddha and his two disciples, installed at the historic Gandan Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar.
Prime Minister had offered prayers at the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery during his visit to Mongolia in 2015 and had announced to gift a statue of Lord Buddha to the monastery, underlining the common Buddhist heritage and civilizational links between our two countries and peoples.
The Statue depicts Lord Buddha in a sitting posture along with his two disciples conveying the message of compassion along with peace and co-existence. The statue was installed and consecrated at the Gandan Monastery earlier this month during the third edition of SAMVAAD dialogue held in Ulaanbaatar from 6 – 7 September 2019. Third edition of SAMVAAD dialogue brought together Buddhist religious leaders, experts and scholars from different countries to deliberate on contemporary issues related to Buddhism.
Gandan Tegchenling Monastery is a prominent centre of Mongolian Buddhists and a treasure house of valuable Buddhist heritage. It hosted the 11th General Assembly of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) from 21-23 June 2019 marking the 50th anniversary of the Conference. Over 150 guests from 14 countries including India, South Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, North Korea, LPDR, Thailand, Japan etc. had participated in the event.
The Statue unveiled today by Prime Minister and Mongolian President H.E. Khaltmaagiin Battulga symbolizes the shared respect of our two countries for the universal message of Lord Buddha.

Cooperation between Mongolia and China’s Xinjiang discussed www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. A second meeting of the working group on cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia (MFA Mongolia) and the People’s Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was held in Urumqi city, China on September 19.

India pledges additional USD 236 million for oil refinery www.zgm.mn

President of Mongolia Battulga Khaltmaa met with Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and the sides released a joint statement on Strengthening Mongolia-India Strategic Partnership during a five-day visit in the country. It is the first visit by the head of state of Mongolia to India in the last decade.

APU JSC’s share price decreases www.zgm.mn

The share price of APU JSC, one of the companies that have the highest market value, has fallen 22 percent since 2019. Due to the drop, the company’s stock became losers among the MSE tier-I listedcompanies of Top-20 Index. The company had a market value of MNT 687.2 billion at the beginning of the year, and by September 19, the value lowered by MNT 151.9 billion to MNT 535.3 billion. Compared to the financial performance of the first half of 2018, the company’s sales revenues have increased, but net income decreased by MNT 4.5 billion. The decline in market capitalization was major factor for the decrease. Even though the share prices have fallen, lower stock options among investors is increasing the number of shareholders. Specifically, the number of small shareholders in APU has increased by 7.4 percent to 6,000.

President bans parliament decree on constitution www.zgm.mn

The President of Mongolia has banned the Parliament decree on adopting the referendum and accepting the Constitution of Mongolia. The official note was sent to Parliament Speaker Zandanshatar Gombojav. President said that the amendment to the Constitution did not meet the requirements of the Constitution of Mongolia’s amendments and the Act was violated.

Tesla takes on Porsche with superfast Plaid Mode www.cnn.com

(CNN)When Porsche said it set a speed record with its new Taycan electric car, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, wasn't about to just sit there and take it. He quickly tweeted that Tesla has something in the works that would enable its cars to outdo even Porsche. It's called Plaid Mode.

Many Tesla (TSLA) cars already offer Ludicrous Mode, which is quicker than the previously available Insane Mode. Using Ludicrous Mode, a Tesla Model S can scurry from a dead stop to 60 miles an hour in less than 2.5 seconds.
Plaid Mode will be faster than Ludicrous Mode and is expected to be available in about a year. It will use three electric motors rather than the two currently in vehicles equipped with Ludicrous, and will be available on Tesla's Model S, X and, later, in the Roadster, Musk has Tweeted.

Yes. To be clear, Plaid powertrain is about a year away from production & applies to S,X & Roadster, but not 3 or Y. Will cost more than our current offerings, but less than competitors.

The names Ludicrous Mode and Plaid Mode are taken from the movie Spaceballs, a 1987 parody of Star Wars directed by Mel Brooks. In Star Wars, when spaceships entered "hyperspace" and were traveling faster than the speed of light, the movie screen filled with streaks of smeared starlight. In Spaceballs, a spaceship could go so fast that the streaks of lights became plaid.
Porsche set off Musk's recent spate of Plaid-related tweets by claiming the fastest lap ever by a four-door electric car on Germany's Nürburgring Nordschleife. It's a famously challenging 13-mile racetrack on which automakers often test their cars and compare lap times for bragging rights. The Taycan covered it in seven minutes and 42 seconds.
Tesla claimed to set a lap record at Laguna Seca race track in a Tesla Model S while driving in Plaid Mode.
Tesla claimed to set a lap record at Laguna Seca race track in a Tesla Model S while driving in Plaid Mode.
Porsche's point in recording a fast lap time was to show that its car had performance capabilities beyond just zero to 60 acceleration. Quick acceleration over short distances is relatively easy to achieve in an electric car, but there's much more to being a performance car. That includes being able to corner fast with ease and to withstand aggressive driving for many miles. This last factor is important because electric car batteries and motors can overheat and give out under prolonged aggressive driving.
Porsche's first electric car has almost no switches, knobs or gauges. Here's what it does have
"For us, actually having a decent time on the Nürburgring is important because that's a way to measure where we are for us, internally, but also for the world outside us," Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Porsche North America, said in a recent interview.
On September 5, the same day Porsche revealed the Taycan and boasted of its lap time, Musk tweeted that Tesla would bring a Model S to the Nürburgring. A few days later, Tesla tweeted that a Model S equipped with new Plaid Mode had set an unofficial record on California's Laguna Seca track.

Another milestone seemed to have occurred in Germany, too. On Tuesday, Road & Track, citing an unnamed eyewitness with a timer, reported that a highly modified Tesla Model S had lapped the Nordschleife, or North loop, in just seven minutes and 23 seconds, nearly 20 seconds faster than the Taycan. Other publications, including the German magazine, Auto Motor Und Sport, also wrote about the lap.
950 miles in two days. Taking an electric road trip in a Tesla
The lap times aren't entirely comparable, though, because Porsche's record lap was in a final production version of the Taycan Turbo, while the Tesla was apparently a test car, not a street-legal production car. Much of its interior had been removed, making the car lighter, for instance, according to media reports.
Porsche declined to comment on the reports about Tesla's lap. Tesla also declined to comment.
The same day the reports came out, Musk tweeted that the upcoming Tesla Roadster will beat the overall record for any car, electric or gas, on the Nürburgring Nordshschleife. So now, it seems, Tesla is going after everyone.

President Battulga's visit in India www.republicworld.com

President Battulga is on a five-day visit and was invited by India's President Ram Nath Kovind. He arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a State visit, which is the first of its kind in a decade. He came to India with high-level officials and a business delegation. President Battulga will attend an India-Mongolia Business Forum in New Delhi. The representatives from both sides will hold in-depth discussions on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues and will also review ongoing cooperation in fields of infrastructure, energy, disaster management, defence, security, culture, and capacity building. PM Modi and President Battulga met recently on September 5 in Russia.