Japanese company admits subsidiary activities caused grassland fire on China-Mongolia border www.english.dotdotnews.com

Japanese telecom operator KDDI acknowledged on Oct. 20 that a large-scale grassland fire in a Mongolian nature reserve earlier this month was connected to activities involving an executive of its subsidiary.

The fire broke out on Oct. 8 in the Numrug Nature Reserve in Dornod Province, Mongolia, according to reports. Mongolian media said that more than 10 people and five vehicles from MobiCom, a Japanese-controlled Mongolian telecom operator, entered the reserve, including several Japanese nationals. Dry grass was ignited as the vehicles were driving, sparking the fire. The open flames were extinguished on the 16th.

KDDI said its Japanese executive at the subsidiary was inside the reserve at the time of the incident, and that it takes "extremely seriously" the fact that activities related to MobiCom caused a fire and had a major impact on the natural environment. The company said the personnel entered the reserve to conduct 4G network communication tests and had obtained formal permission in advance from Mongolia's border guard authorities.

However, several Mongolian media outlets reported that the group entered the reserve for another purpose—possibly to hunt or fish for an endangered species of fish. Relevant Mongolian authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

Mongolia's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change released preliminary statistics on Oct. 20: the fire burned about 530,000 hectares, with about 470,000 hectares affected in the reserve, accounting for 79.8% of the reserve's total area. The ministry has launched a comprehensive assessment of ecological and environmental damage.

Thiess wins two long-term mining services contracts in Mongolia www.thiess.com

Under the two five-year contracts, Thiess will deliver underground mining services at the Rio Tinto-managed Oyu Tolgoi Mine, as well as provide asset management services for Energy Resources at the Ukhaa Khudag (UHG) Mine.

Since establishing operations in Mongolia in 2007, Thiess has developed strong in-country capability and delivered mining and maintenance solutions across a range of projects nationwide. 

Thiess Executive Chair and CEO Michael Wright said the contracts reflected Thiess’ focus on growing from its core while expanding across services, commodities and geographies. 

"These awards demonstrate the trust our clients place in Thiess and reflect the strength of our long-standing partnerships with Oyu Tolgoi and Energy Resources, as well as the capability of our team.

Our success is built on our global expertise, our local people and our local capability, and we’re proud these contracts will create new career opportunities as our workforce grows.” 

CIMIC Group President and Executive Director Roberto Gallardo said the contracts reinforced the strategic importance of Thiess’ client relationships and natural resources capabilities. 

"Long-term contracts with leading clients are central to Thiess’ strength and to CIMIC’s natural resources strategy, and these awards in Mongolia are a clear example of that in action. 

Mongolia remains a key market for Thiess, and these contracts reinforce our long-term commitment to our clients, communities and the country.” 

Oyu Tolgoi Copper - Underground Mining Services 
At the Oyu Tolgoi Mine, Thiess, through the Thiess-Khishig Arvin Joint Venture (TKAJV), will provide underground mining services, including underground development, ground support installation and block cave infrastructure construction. 

The project will support the continued development of one of the world’s largest copper-gold operations and is expected to create more than 110 new roles over the next few months. The workforce is projected to grow to almost 800 people by the end of the contract term, making it Thiess’ largest underground mining operation globally. 

The award builds on Thiess’ established presence at Oyu Tolgoi, where it has operated since 2016 through the TKAJV.  

Energy Resources - CHPP Asset Management Services 

Under the agreement with Energy Resources, Thiess will provide Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP) asset management services at the Ukhaa Khudag Mine. 

The scope includes asset management, supply chain management, technical support and planning services to support efficient, reliable operations.  

The award extends Thiess’ long-standing relationship with Energy Resources and reflects a shared commitment to safety, operational excellence and continuous improvement. 

Export micro-businesses to receive 2.4 billion MNT in loans www.ubpost.mn

The final stage of selection for concessional loans to Ulaanbaatar micro-enterprises that manufacture and export finished goods from agricultural raw materials is under way. Seven shortlisted businesses are now presenting their projects to the Project Selection Committee.

Under Order No. A/320 (2026) of the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund is authorized to lend 2.4 billion MNT through the program. Enterprises dealing in meat and meat products, and in wool and cashmere products, are excluded.

Applications were accepted through an online system from September 2 to October 1. Of the 66 enterprises that registered, 41 submitted finalized applications. Together they requested about 10 billion MNT, more than four times the funds available. Of the 41 applicants, 73.2 percent, or about 30 businesses, asked for between 200 and 300 million MNT. The maximum amount each business can receive is set according to its sales revenue.

The selection ran in three stages. The first checked that project documentation was complete and made a preliminary assessment, and 15 enterprises passed. The second was a detailed on-site evaluation, after which seven remained, about one in six of the original applicants. The final stage will decide which of them receive loans.

The program targets value-added processing rather than raw material exports. Mongolia’s agriculture sector has long been dominated by raw material sales, and policymakers have said they want to diversify the economy beyond mining.

President Khurelsukh Meets German Federal Chancellor www.montsame.mn

The State Visit of the President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, to the Federal Republic of Germany is ongoing.

During the visit, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz paid a courtesy call on President Khurelsukh. At their meeting, the two sides exchanged views on expanding and strengthening the Mongolia-Germany Strategic Partnership, translating into concrete action the agreements reached during reciprocal state visits by the two countries’ heads of state, and exploring new opportunities for cooperation.

They also discussed implementing the 2011 intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the fields of minerals, industry, and technology, and launching a major investment project that could become a symbol of the strong ties between the two countries.

The two sides noted that the Mongolia-Germany Business Forum, being held as part of the visit, has brought together representatives from around 250 companies, demonstrating strong business interest and broad opportunities for expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

President Khurelsukh expressed satisfaction with the active development cooperation between the two countries and conveyed Mongolia’s interest in expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital governance.

He also highlighted the potential to attract German technology and investment to renewable energy projects and energy storage systems, drawing on Mongolia’s abundant solar and wind resources.

The two sides further agreed to work together to strengthen people-to-people ties, which serve as a solid bridge between the two countries, and to establish an agreement on pensions and social security.

Mongolia Deepens European Ties With German Diplomatic Summit www.theowp.org/

In an age of intense great-power competition, landlocked democracies are challenged in preserving their diplomatic portfolios. This careful balancing took center stage in Berlin when Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh arrived for an official visit at the invitation of German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The visit is significant for European-Asian relations, marking the most important bilateral engagement between the two countries in over 10 years. As reported by Montsame News Agency, discussions between the two heads of state focused on expanding joint clean industrial initiatives and securing development agreements. Underlying this is Mongolia’s long-standing “Third Neighbor” policy, which seeks to ensure its economic cooperation does not become geopolitical vassalage. The policy is based on developing Mongolia’s economy through links with countries other than its two immediate land neighbours, Russia and China.

​Geographically trapped between Russia to the north and China to the south, Mongolia occupies one of the most sensitive geopolitical positions on the planet. Ulaanbaatar has sought to protect its democratic institutions through political, cultural, and trade ties with its so-called “third neighbors” (Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the U.S.). The policy is fragile given Western sanctions on Moscow and the increasingly hostile trade relationship with Beijing. Mongolia depends entirely on Russian energy for electricity and fuel supplies. More than 80 percent of its mineral exports across the southern border go to Chinese industry. A Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung analysis points out that Khürelsükh’s mission to Berlin aims to give Mongolia breathing space. It intends to allow the country to remain a neutral player in international affairs, committed to the rules-based order, without being squeezed by economic pressure from either neighbor.

​A key element of this phase of diplomacy is Mongolia’s vast endowment of critical raw materials essential to the worldwide transition to renewable energy. The country has large quantities of untapped copper, lithium, uranium, and other materials. Germany established a formal raw materials partnership with Mongolia in 2011. The German government is vigorously pursuing an approach to diversify its critical supply chains away from total dependence on one source. According to policy briefs from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, German technical assistance supports the German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology in Ulaanbaatar. The aim is to build domestic processing capacity rather than treat Mongolia as just a raw materials extraction hub. As the European Governance and Security Institute’s Security and Trade Review states, access to Mongolian uranium and other critical minerals provides Europe with significant supply chain diversification and gives Ulaanbaatar the sovereign revenues needed to modernize its economy. Ulaanbaatar has always been a country of positive neutrality, nuclear non-proliferation, and multilateralism. The only real problem is the complete logistical difficulty. As the regional energy folks have pointed out, being a landlocked country means that every kilo of refined mineral output or high-tech equipment that Mongolia wants to send to Europe has to go via Russian rail or Chinese ports. That leaves it extremely exposed to the risk of sudden border closure or tariff spike.

​The international community must go beyond transactional resource deals and invest in long-term multilateral resilience. Germany may support Mongolia’s economic self-determination through local processing, with a clear devotion to environmental standards and the rights of local communities protected by international labor law. The UN and the World Bank should work with Central Asian transit corridors to formalize internationally guaranteed trade routes benefiting landlocked developing countries. European democracies must provide strong institutional backing for Mongolia’s active peace diplomacy. Transparent networks can enable the global community to demonstrate that national security is best preserved through cooperative diplomatic partnerships.

Mongolia-Germany Business Forum Draws Over 270 Participants in Berlin www.montsame.mn

The Mongolia-Germany Business Forum was held in Berlin on October 21 within the framework of the State Visit of the President of Mongolia, Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, to the Federal Republic of Germany.

The forum was jointly organized by the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, bringing together more than 270 representatives from government institutions, the private sector, and businesses of the two countries.

In her opening remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs Battsetseg Batmunkh noted that elevating Mongolia-Germany relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2024 had opened up new opportunities to expand cooperation in trade, investment, manufacturing, and technology.

She emphasized the importance of advancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation through concrete projects and investment, and of leveraging German advanced technologies and know-how alongside Mongolia’s resources and potential to develop value-added production and exports. She called on businesses to turn new opportunities for joint projects and investment into concrete action.

The forum featured discussions on investment opportunities, development prospects and future cooperation in Mongolia’s industrial, wool, and cashmere sectors. The representatives of businesses exchanged views on introducing advanced production technologies and know-how, manufacturing value-added products, and expanding export markets.

During the forum, businesses from the two countries exchanged six documents aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, investment, construction materials manufacturing, renewable energy, food production, and other business activities.

In particular, Mongolia’s GR Precast LLC and Germany’s CBS Home exchanged a document on establishing a modern manufacturing facility for precast lightweight concrete products in Mongolia. Blackbox Energy and smartOPS exchanged a document on cooperation in renewable energy. Meanwhile, Mongolia’s Khuns Complex LLC signed separate memorandums of understanding on business cooperation with Germany’s Poly-clip System and Eberhardt.

The Mongolia-Germany Business Forum served as an important platform to strengthen direct business ties, establish new partnerships, advance mutually beneficial joint projects, and further strengthen the Mongolia-Germany Strategic Partnership through practical cooperation in trade, economic development, and investment.

Mongolia and Germany sign declaration to strengthen strategic partnership www.qazinform.com

Mongolia and Germany have signed a joint declaration to deepen their strategic partnership, expanding cooperation in education, science, defense, renewable energy and economic development during Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh’s state visit to Germany, Qazinform News Agency cites MONTSAME.

The declaration was signed by Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh and Bernhard Kotsch, State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office. It outlines priority areas for strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between the two countries.

Under the agreement, both sides committed to continuing support for the German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology, which operates within the framework of bilateral development cooperation. They also agreed to strengthen scientific and research ties through initiatives such as the first Mongolian-German Science Day and expand scholarship opportunities for Mongolian students.

Cooperation in vocational education and training will also be expanded, with Germany sharing its expertise and best practices and the two countries implementing joint programs in Mongolia.

In defense and security, the countries agreed to enhance cooperation between their armed forces and organize specialized training in United Nations peacekeeping operations and mountain infantry.

The declaration also identifies renewable energy development and the transition to a green economy as priorities for boosting bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

In addition, Mongolia and Germany agreed to explore the mutual recognition of driving licenses and the possibility of concluding a bilateral social security agreement, with talks to be initiated on both issues.

As part of efforts to strengthen diplomatic and consular ties, Mongolia also announced plans to open a Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Earlier, Qazinform reported Mongolia and Japan joined forces on afforestation and water projects in the Gobi. 

BY
Adlet Seilkhanov

Mongolian capital's hotline receives 5000 complaints in two months www.thestar.com.my/

The Capital City Governor’s Office launched a dedicated hotline, 150150, on August 14 to receive feedback, requests, and complaints from residents of Ulaanbaatar city.

Over the past two months, the “The Mayor is listening” hotline has received a total of 8,373 submissions, including 7,774 text messages and 599 emails.

Of these, 5,120 were complaints, 2,548 were requests, 400 were inquiries and 209 were suggestions.

According to B. Semjidmaa, the Capital city’s coordinator for Public Service Quality, 89.7 per cent of the submissions have been resolved, with an average resolution time of 5.9 days. The figures were reported by the Media and Public Relations Department of the Capital City Governor’s Office.

An online training session was also held for more than 500 managers and officials from 157 organisations to improve procedures for receiving, distributing, resolving and monitoring citizens’ feedback, requests, petitions and complaints.

The training focused on responding promptly to citizens, improving the quality and accessibility of public services, and strengthening complaint-resolution processes across the participating organisations. - Go Go Mongolia/ANN

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Proud to See Mongolia Strengthen Protections Against Tobacco-Related Harm www.oncodaily.com

Mongolia’s State Great Khural adopted amendments to the Law on Tobacco Control on October 16, 2026, to reduce tobacco use, prevent related diseases and deaths, and protect public health.

The amendments introduce stricter regulations on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and emerging nicotine products.
Restrict flavors that appeal to young people.
Gradually increase tobacco excise taxes.
Strengthen regulatory oversight.
Expand cessation support and prevention services.
The Ministry of Health will focus on effective implementation, cross-sector collaboration, and stronger public education and awareness campaigns.

Reducing tobacco use is a shared responsibility and a key step toward a healthier, safer population.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General at World Health Organization, congratulates Mongolia on strengthening tobacco control and advancing public health, sharing on Facebook:

“Congratulations, Mongolia, on adopting the new tobacco control laws that aim to reduce tobacco use significantly. This is a big win for the health of people in Mongolia.

Fewer tobacco users mean fewer tobacco-related diseases and more healthier lives.”

President Khurelsukh and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier Hold Official Talks www.montsame.mn

The State Visit of President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa to the Federal Republic of Germany is ongoing.

Following a tête-à-tête meeting, President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier held official talks. The Heads of State emphasized that the relations between the two countries, built on democratic values such as human rights, freedoms, and the rule of law, were elevated to the level of a "Strategic Partnership" in 2024, and expressed satisfaction with the expansion and development of bilateral cooperation across all sectors.

Both sides highlighted the importance of intensifying trade and economic cooperation and increasing investment, while engaging in detailed discussions regarding cooperation in industry and mineral resources, as well as in food, agriculture, and light industry within the framework of the "White Gold" and "Food Supply and Securtiy" national movements.

Furthermore, they exchanged views on opportunities to expand cooperation in renewable energy, the green transition, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and e-governance.

The two Presidents noted that this year marks the centennial of educational cooperation between Mongolia and Germany, and agreed to implement joint research projects in education, science, and culture, while increasing exchange programs for students, teachers, and researchers.

They also highlighted the significance of organizing the first "Mongolian-German Science Day" during this visit to expand cooperation between universities and academic research institutions.

Additionally, they discussed strengthening and expanding cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and other international organizations, and exchanged views on regional and international issues.