‘Banished to Mongolia’? Bolton’s absence from Trump-Kim meeting fuels firing rumors... again www.rt.com

Hawkish national security adviser John Bolton was absent from President Trump’s team during his meeting with Kim Jong-un. However, non-interventionist Fox News host Tucker Carlson was present. Twitter put the pieces together.
As Trump’s most trusted adviser on all things geopolitical, one would expect John Bolton to have the president’s ear before, during, and after his historic foray across the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea and subsequent meeting with Kim Jong-un. However, Bolton was nowhere to be seen during Sunday’s impromptu summit, and was instead dispatched to Mongolia to talk security with Mongolian State Secretary Davaasuren Damdinsuren.

John Bolton
✔
@AmbJohnBolton
Delighted to be in Ulaanbaatar & looking forward to meeting with officials to find ways to harness Mongolia’s capabilities in support of our shared economic & security objectives. Thank you for the warm welcome Secretary of State @davaasuren_d

Notably present in Trump’s entourage, however, was Fox News host Tucker Carlson, an outspoken anti-interventionist and tireless critic of Bolton’s trigger-happy neoconservatism.

Though Bolton’s trip had apparently been scheduled before the meeting was cobbled together, Twitter was rife with speculation. “Hopefully Bolton’s banishing to Mongolia means that the chi is ready to flow again between Washington and Pyongyang,” wrote Korean peace activist Christine Ahn.

Christine Ahn
@christineahn
The inter-Korean peace process has stalled because of the breakdown in US-DPRK talks. Hopefully Bolton’s banishing to Mongolia means that the chi is ready to flow again between Washington and Pyongyang. https://twitter.com/willripleycnn/status/1145428684364369920 …

Will Ripley
✔
@willripleyCNN
South Koreans are cautiously optimistic about President Trump's historic day of impromptu diplomacy at the DMZ. They've seen this all before. Last year, their own President Moon made a historic walk across the MDL into North Korea, only to see diplomacy stall and tensions rise.

Hayes Brown
✔
@HayesBrown
I thought that was a metaphor when I first saw this tweet but nope John Bolton was literally in Mongolia https://twitter.com/lindseyhilsum/status/1145376951072370688 …

Lindsey Hilsum
✔
@lindseyhilsum
Banished to Mongolia? How ⁦@realDonaldTrump⁩ had to sidestep John Bolton to get his meeting with Kim Jong Un.

Bolton’s presence would likely have soured the amicable mood in Korea. Pyongyang has described the natsec adviser as “dim sighted,” “human scum” and a “bloodsucker.” Bolton has also been accused of torpedoing this year’s Hanoi summit between Trump and Kim, by suggesting beforehand that Korean denuclearization could follow the “Libya model” - a model that saw Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi overthrown and murdered seven years after agreeing to denuclearize.

Rumors of Bolton’s impending sacking from the Trump administration began to circulate.

Derek J. Grossman
@DerekJGrossman
My read on this is Bolton will be out soon, Pompeo in as NSA and SecState—in true Kissingerian fashion. Bolton was literally removed from Trump’s Koreas visit & sent to Mongolia where he would do far less damage. https://twitter.com/ambjohnbolton/status/1145288948291440642 …

These speculations are not new, however, and the DC rumor mill has been buzzing with half-stories of Bolton’s looming departure for several weeks now. Former CIA agent and whistleblower John Kiriakou told RT two weeks ago that Bolton’s head is on the chopping block, as Trump apparently tires of his lobbying for war with Iran. However, Kiriakou noted that his leaving is “definitely not a done deal,” and still the stuff of gossip.

Kelly Magsamen
@kellymagsamen
I love Mongolia. I'm sorry that it had to receive John Bolton.

Despite the caveat, recent public statements by Trump lend credence to the rumors. “John Bolton is absolutely a hawk,” the president told reporters last week. “If it was up to him he'd take on the whole world at one time, okay?”

With military confrontation with Iran and Venezuela on the cards last month, Trump described himself as “the one who tempers him [Bolton], which is okay.” Days beforehand, Trump had expressed frustration that Bolton was trying to get him “into a war,” according to the Washington Post’s sources, at least.

Paul Carroll
@carrollpm
How many times can Trump call John Bolton “Mike” Bolton before he quits ?

And where does Tucker Carlson fit into all of this? The Fox Host interviewed Trump at the DMZ on Sunday, with the interview due to be broadcast on Monday. While grooming the Fox host to replace Bolton might be a bit of a reach, Carlson reportedly has Trump’s ear on key issues of national security, and according to one report has been privately advising the president not to go to war with Iran.

Mongolia sees sharp recovery in economy: IMF official www.xinhuanet.com

ULAN BATOR, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's economy witnessed a sharp recovery in growth thanks to a combination of buoyant external conditions and the government's spending restraints, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was quoted by the country's central bank as saying on Sunday.

Turkish nationals in Mongolia seek UN protection against Turkey’s pressure www.turkishminute.com

Eight Turkish citizens who live in Mongolia have applied for asylum with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in order to avoid feared deportation to Turkey, the Medya Bold news website reported.

Macau strikes judicial assistance deal with Mongolia www.macaudailytimes.com.mo

The government of the Macau Special Administrative Region signed an agreement on mutual assistance in matters of criminal law with Mongolia last week.

New Airport Management Project to be implemented by Mongolia-Japan joint companies www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ At its regular meeting on June 28, the Cabinet allowed to establish a concession agreement with Mongolia-Japan joint company under ‘invest-operate-transfer’ condition for Ulaanbaatar International New Airport Management Project.

Massive FX leak: Renewable energy www.zgm.mn

Mongolia, which has a vast source of renewable energy, has not been able to export the electricity harvested from clean sources and instead, pay more to foreign investors. Key players in the industry, consisting mainly of foreign investors, sell their expensive power to Mongolia under the name “clean energy.”

BoM: Inflation to be at 7.8 percent at the end of 2020 www.zgm.mn

Inflation is projected to be 7.2 percent at the end of 2019 and 7.8 percent at the end of 2020. In May, inflation stood at 7.9 percent nationwide at 8.8 percent in Ulaanbaatar.

Mongolia casts doubt on Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi expansion www.afr.com

Rio Tinto is facing more uncertainty in Mongolia after a senior lawmaker was reported suggesting the developing nation would not honour a 2015 agreement that underpins a $US5.3 billion expansion of the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine.

Mongolian media quoted the nation's minister for Mining and Heavy Industry, Sumiyabazar Dolgorsuren, as suggesting the Mongolian government would no longer accept a 2015 legal agreement that laid out the fiscal terms for the expansion.

That agreement was struck by Rio chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques when he was the miner's copper boss.

“We do not stand by the contract,” Mr Dolgorsuren was quoted as saying by News.mn.

The comments have since been republished by Bloomberg's bureau in the Mongolian capital Ulaan Baatar.

Rio shareholders will likely take the comments with a grain of salt; Mongolian parliamentarians have on many occasions in the past decade made threats to discard the major legal agreements that underpin Rio's investment in Oyu Tolgoi.

On most occasions the threats have proved to be hollow, with Rio continuing to work under a 2009 investment agreement that Mongolia has sought to revisit numerous times.

Adding to the tension is the fact the Mongolian Parliament is currently controlled by political rivals of the party that struck the 2015 agreement in Dubai.

But the outburst comes at a fragile time for Rio given a Mongolian parliamentary working group continues to analyse Oyu Tolgoi from a range of perspectives, including the fiscal terms but also practical issues relating to the supply of power and water.

Rumours have persisted in recent months that the parliamentary working group will seek revisions to the 2015 expansion agreement, while Mongolia's anti-corruption agency is investigating some of the politicians involved in signing the 2009 investment agreement.

Rio copper boss Arnaud Soirat made clear in April that he had no appetite to revisit those agreements.

''A commitment to honouring agreements and contracts is essential, especially in our industry, where time horizons are long and upfront investment is massive. At Oyu Tolgoi, the sanctity of the key
investment agreements makes the shareholders’ potential US$12 billion investment in Mongolia possible,'' he told an audience in Chile.

''Without these agreements we do not have a business case. And we will not have an operation.''

Rio is also expected to confirm the scale of cost and schedule blow outs on the project in coming months, which could further strain the relationship given the Mongolian government owns 34 per cent of the mine and is eager for its copper and gold to boost government revenues as soon as possible.

Mongolia has been unable to fund its 34 per cent share of development costs on the project; a situation that has further complicated the relationship and will ensure Mongolia's dividend streams from the mine are compromised in its early years of operation.

While Rio has been forced to tolerate the volatility that comes with Mongolian politics, the company's hand in negotiations is strengthened by the fact Oyu Tolgoi is viewed internationally as a bellweather for Mongolia's investibility.

Foreign investment into Mongolia slumped in the years prior to the 2015 Oyu Tolgoi agreement, and successful development of the mine is expected to embolden other investors.

Peter Ker covers resource companies, based in Melbourne. Connect with Peter on Twitter. Email Peter at pker@afr.com

European Union and Mongolia hold productive political, economic and human rights dialogue www.eeas.europa.eu

The European Union and Mongolia held a Joint Committee meeting today under the EU-Mongolia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

In 2019, the EU and Mongolia celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The presence of the EU Delegation in Ulaanbaatar since 2017 allows both parties to consolidate, deepen and diversify their relations.

In the meeting, both the EU and Mongolia reaffirmed the importance of further enhancing their relations by discussing priority areas of cooperation in the political, economic and human rights spheres. They exchanged views on regional and global issues and discussed opportunities for strengthening cooperation in the framework of the Europe-Asia connectivity strategy.

The EU and Mongolia discussed further steps in assisting the Mongolian authorities with a possible budget support operation that will contribute to boost employment creation and improve public finance management.
The third EU-Mongolia Human Rights Dialogue was held back-to-back with the Joint Committee. The EU and Mongolia discussed issues related to enhancing cooperation in multilateral fora. While the EU acknowledged the firm basis of the rule of law in Mongolia and the country's good compliance with human rights and fundamental freedoms, recent initiatives in the field of human rights and rule of law risk being contrary to Mongolia's international obligations, such as the independence of the judiciary, the rights of the child and human rights defenders. The EU welcomed the recent statement by the Mongolian Minister of Justice on the country’s continued strong commitment to the abolition of the death penalty. As is the case for all human rights dialogues, the EU met with civil society representatives ahead of the Dialogue, which contributes to a regular engagement with such groups.

The Subcommittee on Trade and Investment, held prior to the Joint Committee reviewed the state of trade and economic cooperation with a focus on the improvement of the business climate and the diversification of Mongolia's economy. It also reviewed the state of implementation of the EU Trade-Related Assistance to Mongolia (TRAM) project that assists Mongolia in the diversification of its economy and capacity building, as well as support for business intermediaries. The Joint Committee decided to establish a dialogue on sanitary and phytosanitary related issues.

Prior to the Joint Committee, dialogues took place in the context of EU’s special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+). The EU and Mongolia discussed how to make better use of these trade preferences as well as the effective implementation of international conventions on human rights, labour rights, environment and good governance. Agreed follow up actions include the adoption of the revised labour law, enforcing child protection, and ensuring the independence of the judiciary.

The Mongolian delegation at the Joint Committee was headed by Mr Tsogtbaatar Damdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The European Union's delegation was headed by Mr Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service.

The EU and Mongolia agreed to hold their next Joint Committee meeting in 2020 in Brussels.

Mongolia exported 3.5 million tons of iron ore from January 2019 www.qazaqtimes.com

For the first 6 months of this year, Mongolia exported 3.5 million tons of iron ore totaling $ 207.5 mn, reports the country's main customs administration. At the same time, this figure increased by 720.9 thousand tons compared to the same period of the previous year. According to experts, China remains the main export destination for Mongolia. The share of China in 2018 accounted for 66% of total exports of Mongolia. In 2018, Mongolia exported 7.4 million tons of iron ore.