In the West, the name Genghis Khan conjures a collective memory of ravaging hordes, devastation and destruction. Indeed, when the Mongols swept through Russia, Hungary, and Poland in the 13th century, and began attacking the feudal principalities of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, some believed the invaders were sent by God as punishment for Europe’s sins. Because some of these armed horsemen called themselves “Tatars,” rumor spread among the terrified populace that they were not human; they were a demon army sent by God from Tartarus — from hell.

But in Mongolia, Genghis is the founding father of the nation: the hero who rose from a humble herding family to unite the tribes of Mongolia and in his lifetime conquer much of China, Central Asia and Persia. Subsequent generations of khans created the largest empire our world has ever known, encompassing all of China, south to Burma and Vietnam, Tibet, the top half of India, all of Siberia and Central Asia, Persia, the Caucasus, Russia, the better part of the Balkans, Eastern and Central Europe. To mark the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Mongol Empire, Mongolia constructed the world’s largest equestrian statue: a 40 meter (120 feet) tall, glittering, stainless steel monument of Genghis Khan on his horse. Standing in the middle of a vast green valley, 54 km outside of Ulaan Bataar, the capital, I found the statue simply awe inspiring.

The Genghis Khan monument sits on top of a circular base with 36 pillars, signifying the linear of 36 khans who ruled the Mongol Empire. The European design elements in the base are also deliberate, such as the Corinthian and Ionian columns. These signify the Mongolians’ brief conquest of Europe in the 13th century.

Today, Mongolia is considered a small country. Geographically, it’s twice the size of Texas, but with a population of only 3 million wedged in betweeen Russia and China, its global significance is mostly as a source of minerals (copper, coal, uranium) and as a buffer between those two Asian giants. Fully half the population lives in Ulaan Bataar, and so the rest of this vast land seems as empty as it always was, even back in the days of the khans.

It may seem strange that in Genghis’ time the Mongols were massively outnumbered by the peoples they conquered. Indeed, the story of how Genghis Khan and the Mongols transformed Asia — and Europe — is both fascinating and woefully unknown to most of us, including me. I did some reading prior to our visit to Mongolia, and this book in particular, by historian Jack Weatherfield, opened my eyes:

Most of Mongolia is as vast and empty today as it was in the time of the Khans.

In a nutshell, Genghis Khan’s early life was filled with cruelty and hardship —the murder of his father by a rival tribe, the kidnapping (and rape) of his wife…all too common in those days. He killed his older brother to become leader of his household, and then gradually consolidated control, despite many powerful enemies and the betrayal of some of his closest allies and friends. His biography is preserved in a document known as The Secret History of the Mongols, which was written shortly after his death.

By his mid-forties, Genghis had united Mongolia, and then set his sights on the riches of China. Perhaps a life of constant warfare made him thirsty for more conquest. Whatever the motives, the ferocity, tactics and strategy of the steppe horsemen made the Mongol army an invincible force. Prosperous but complacent kingdoms were no match for them. His early successes convinced Genghis that God wanted him to unite and rule the world. And that is what he set out to do.

The extent of the Mongol Empire

The Mongols’ modus operandi was quite rational: When they approached a new city or kingdom, they would send emissaries, explaining the Mongol mission of global conquest. If the city surrendered, it would be required to pay tribute and contribute to the growing Mongol army, but otherwise left alone. If the leaders resisted, the city would be destroyed and stripped of riches. The aristocracy would be killed, and the citizens enslaved. Many cities responded to this choice by executing the emissaries. Sometimes the Mongols sent two or three parties to patiently explain what was going to happen. But in the end, it came down to slaughter, sack, enslave — again and again and again.

Kievian Rus was one such kingdom that killed the emissaries. Kiev was sacked, and for some 250 years the Mongol “Golden Horde” ruled a region that extended from Ukraine to Siberia — the first Russian empire. The Russian Orthodox Church decamped from Kiev, and set up a new national headquarters at a remote northern vassal state called Moscovy. In 1480, as the horde fell apart, the Rus aristocracy in Moscovy threw off the “Tatar yoke” and established a new Tsarist Russia. But, they kept many of the features of the Mongol’s asiatic administrative state, which helps explain the social and political differences between Russia and Europe today.

As the Mongol Empire expanded, riches flowed from the sacked cities and tribute-paying towns back to Mongolia. Imagine what the transformation must have been like for the herding, tent-dwelling tribes that stayed home. Suddenly, they were swamped with silks from China, jewels from India, riches beyond measure from Persia.

In the mountains near the Genghis Khan Monument is an outdoor museum that replicates 13th century mongol encampments, including this one, of Genghis Khan. No palaces for the Khans!

Despite their new luxuries, the Mongols resisted changing their lifestyle, preferring their mobile tents to palaces. When, under Genghis’ grandson, Kublai Khan, the Jin Empire of China was finally conquered, he built a new northern capital Beijing, close to the steppes. Within the captial he built a Forbidden City for the Mongol overlords. Behind these high walls were wide, empty courtyards, where the Mongols erected their tents and kept their own animals for milk and meat — so that they could maintain their nomadic lifestyle while ruling from the city.

What derailed the Mongols from their conquest of Europe? A family feud. A fight for succession brought the sons of Genghis back from Europe to Mongolia. Much wrangling ensued. The Europeans took advantage of the lull to stop their own squabbling, build better castles, and prepare to defend themselves. As a result, except for Ukraine and Russia, Europe staved off Mongol rule.

Luckily for Europe, subsequent generations of Mongol rulers lost interest in conquest and turned to trade. Throughout the 14th century, the Mongol Peace reigned throughout Eurasia. Trade routes flourished. When Marco Polo went to China, he did so along the Mongol-made Silk Road, staying at well-appointed Mongol trading stations all along the way. (In China, he worked for Kublai Khan). It was a time of incredible prosperity, as goods from Asia flowed west into Europe, and goods from Europe flowed east.

What brought the end to the Mongol Peace? A foe more powerful than either the Mongols or Europeans: a tiny flea. More specifically, a bacteria that lived in the flea. When infected fleas bit humans, they died fast and in great agony. The spreading infection turned the blood beneath the skin black, and so the illness became known as the Black Death. The plague originated in China (sound familiar?), but the global trade network of the Mongols enabled it to spread quickly all the way to Europe. The plague devastated populations everywhere. It weakened the pan-Asian Mongol Empire. Eventually it fell apart — though various genetic and cultural descendants of the khans would continue to rule parts of Central and South Asia for centuries more.

In 1921, when Mongolia was invaded by Russia and became a Soviet satellite state, the memory of Genghis Khan and the conquest of Russia by the Golden Horde was expunged. So, in 1991, when Mongolia emerged as a new, democratic state, the people reclaimed Genghis Khan as an important part of their history and their national identity.

I climbed the stairs inside of the Genghis Khan monument to emerge on the silver mane of his horse, together with a dozen or so Mongolian school kids. I got it that the country needed such a big statue to impress upon the next generation the story of the man who made Mongolia a nation, and in so doing, shaped the modern world.

BY Tim Ward, Mature Flâneur

Author, communications expert and publisher of Changemakers Books, Tim is now a full time Mature Flaneur, wandering Europe with Teresa, his beloved wife.

Selection of contractors and funding for the first phase (300 MW) of the Tavantolgoi 450 MW Thermal Power Plant project, to be implemented under a turnkey contract.

Tavantolgoi Thermal Power Plant state owned Co., Ltd will implement the Tavantolgoi Thermal Power Plant project in the two phases: 300MW and 150MW. Currently, the company is working to select the contractor and funding for the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract on turnkey conditions for the first phase of 300MW.

The Ministry of Energy is pleased to announce a tender for the selection of the contractor and funding for the first phase of 300 MW of the plant, which will be implemented under a turnkey contract, and invites all eligible interested parties to submit their proposals accordingly to participate in the tender.

Izumi Nakamitsu, the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations, will pay a working visit to Mongolia. The visit will take place in the coming days, as Nakamitsu participates in the 8th International "Ulaanbaatar Dialogue" on North East Asian Security Issues, scheduled to be held in Ulaanbaatar on June 15-16.

Moreover, Nakamitsu will deliver a presentation titled "Intersection of International and Regional Disarmament: Future Challenges and Opportunities", designed to engage young researchers and students at the National University of Mongolia.

The visit of the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs is a tribute to Mongolia's dedication and acknowledgment of the nation's efforts in reinforcing international peace and security.

ROME, June 10 (Reuters) - Pope Francis' recovery from surgery is going well but doctors advised him not to deliver his Sunday blessing from a hospital balcony to avoid strain on his abdomen.

Briefing reporters at the Gemelli hospital on Saturday, chief surgeon Sergio Alfieri also said the 86-year-old had agreed with doctors to stay there for at least all of next week.

Francis underwent a three-hour operation to repair an abdominal hernia on Wednesday.

"Only three days have passed. We asked the Holy Father to be prudent and avoid the strain (of standing at the balcony)," Alfieri said. "Each time he gets out of bed and sits in an armchair puts stress on the abdominal walls."

A mesh prosthetic was inserted into the abdominal wall to help it heal and doctors want it to settle and attach properly to avoid another operation if it breaks, he added.

"You can understand how that would not be pleasing for him, and for me," Alfieri joked.

PORTUGAL, MONGOLIA TRIPS STILL ON SCHEDULE

Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said the pope would say Sunday's traditional noon Angelus prayer in his hospital suite and the faithful could say it at the same time.

Alfieri said the pope was taken off intravenous tubes on Friday and had started a semi-liquid diet. All medical parameters were within the norm, there were no cardiac problems and complete healing of the abdominal scars would take about three months, he added.

The Vatican said blood test results were good and chest X-rays showed no problems.

Francis had part of one lung removed because of an illness when he was 21-year-old in his native Argentina.

Doctors had said after the operation that the pope should have no limitations on travels and other activities after recovery. He has trips to Portugal on Aug. 2-6 for World Youth Day and to visit the Shrine of Fatima, and to Mongolia Aug. 31-Sept. 4, one of the remotest places he will have visited.

Bruni reiterated that all audiences had been cancelled until June 18 but after that the pope's schedule would remain for now.

The pope traditionally takes all of July off, with the Sunday blessings being his only public appearance, so he will have the entire month to rest before the Portugal trip.

Reporting by Philip Pullella and Angelo Amante; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Andrew Cawthorne

Thank you, Norbert. Honorable Governor Pirmatov, Executive Directors, Distinguished Guests,

I am delighted to welcome all of you to CCAMTAC! Our Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia Regional Capacity Development Center.

We’re opening this Center to support our members across this diverse and dynamic region of close to 100 million people, as they navigate a range of economic opportunities and challenges. In areas spanning fiscal, monetary, and financial policy, and statistics, CCAMTAC will help members build stronger policies and institutions that foster inclusive growth.

What are the Center’s benefits? I see three big ones:

First, it provides direct, easy-to-access capacity development resources to the region, building on and complementing existing technical assistance and training from headquarters, the Joint Vienna Institute, the Singapore Training Institute for Mongolia, and other regional training centers.

Local access is so important because the region’s demand for capacity development services has been growing. This includes demand on traditional topics such as macroeconomic forecasting and policy scenario analysis, and new topic areas like central bank digital currencies and transitioning to a greener economy.

While the virtual tools that advanced so much during the pandemic have brought tremendous benefits, there’s no substitute for coming together and working in person.

Second, CCAMTAC helps its members learn from each other. It is a platform for peer learning that is needed in this region. We need this for issues such as climate and digitalization that are too complex and fast-moving for one country or institution to solve alone. So, we need to share our experiences openly and learn from each other.

This cooperation also brings another benefit—the third one I want to highlight: it helps us counter geo-economic fragmentation. Bringing together countries with common challenges, bilateral partners committed to their development, and global institutions such as the IMF fosters mutual understanding. That can help them avoid policies that seek short-term advantage at the cost of neighbors—and everyone’s future prosperity.

And let me mention one more benefit: the Center strengthens cooperation within each country. This helps the central bank, ministries, and agencies achieve greater policy coherence.

Given all these benefits, you can imagine that we have been awaiting this moment—the Center’s physical opening—with great anticipation. The video we just saw gave us a glimpse of the extraordinary work that had been done to set up CCAMTAC during the pandemic.

Staff had to be recruited remotely. Regional advisors worked from overseas. And the team here fought through supply chain disruptions to finish this beautiful space just a few months ago, allowing us to cut the ribbon today. Bravo to everyone whose hard work made this possible! We can’t thank you enough.

The opening of CCAMTAC could not have happened without the involvement and commitment of all member countries, including the host country and our development partners.

In December 2020, Mr. Dossaev, at the time Governor of the NBK and now mayor of Almaty, and I, gave a strong push to the project. Kazakhstan is contributing more than 40 percent of the Center’s first five-year budget.

CCAMTAC’s success will depend on the full commitment and ownership of all its member countries. Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Georgia have already contributed. Azerbaijan’s agreement has just been finalized. And the other regional members have told me they are enthusiastic about the Center, so I’m optimistic that they will contribute as well.

We are equally grateful to our bilateral partners Switzerland, Russia, China, Korea, the United States, the Asian Development Bank and Poland for supporting the Center. Discussions with the European Commission are advanced as well, and we hope that other partners will join over time.

And I would like to thank our dedicated IMF staff and Marcel Peter, Executive Director at the IMF. Far too many people have been involved to name them all at this occasion, but some of them are here today.

Please let me mention in the name of their respective teams Jihad Azour, the Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department and Dominique Desruelle, the Director of the Institute for Capacity Development. And of course, Norbert Funke, CCAMTAC’s first director.

I am confident that CCAMTAC will make a very strong contribution to capacity building in the region to support sustainable and inclusive economic development.

Thank you.

Just recently, French President Macron visited Mongolia. France cherishes the hope that the country can supply critical raw materials. And Macron was not the first politician from Europe to make an appearance there. After all, Western politicians are trying to secure the supply of critical raw materials for their countries. In addition, dependencies on China are to be curbed as far as possible. By the way, a uranium mine is currently being developed in Mongolia. And soon, 450,000 tons of copper are to be produced each year. Although Mongolia supplies almost all of the raw materials extracted from the ground there to China, Mongolia is also interested in trading with other countries. And there are many raw materials in Mongolia, for example coal, copper, gold, but also rare earths, phosphate, zeolite or graphite.

Green technologies need critical metals, with the coveted lithium for lithium-ion batteries in electromobility and many portable devices at the top of the list, of course. In Mongolia, for example, ION Energy (https://www.commodity-tv.com/.../ion-energy-achieves.../) is working on two promising lithium projects, the flagship Baavhai Uul project and the Urgach Naran project. Recently, ION Energy added another lithium project, in the Northwest Territories, Kananda. Rare earths, such as neodymium, are used in wind turbines and electric motors, as well as in many technical devices in fuel cells or in aviation.

These rare earths are not only found in Mongolia, but also in the USA, for example in the projects of US Critical Metals (https://www.commodity-tv.com/.../mining-newsflash-with.../) in Montana and Idaho. The U.S. also wants to free itself from dependencies as much as possible. The company's projects contain rare earths, lithium, uranium, and cobalt.

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In the Batuta coal mining subsidence area near Ulan Mulun in Inner Mongolia, the fields are black as they gleam under the early summer sun. Stretching out to the horizon, they are covered not with coal but with row after row of solar photovoltaic panels that lean backwards as they face the sun.

The project, which aims to reach a capacity of 500,000 kilowatts, is part of a coal mining regeneration scheme that also involves the ecological restoration of the land for agricultural use and tourism. Until recently, almost all of Inner Mongolia’s electricity was generated by coal-fired power stations, but when Xi Jinping spent two days there this week, his focus was on green energy, low-carbon development and the fight against desertification.

Climate change has seen the number of sandstorms in China increase over the past two decades, with most storms moving from the deserts of Inner Mongolia southwards towards Beijing and other big cities in the east of the country. Xi praised desertification prevention and control efforts that include the large-scale planting of trees to slow down the sandstorms.

He said that the work had produced a historic transformation from “sand forcing humans to retreat” to “trees forcing sand to retreat”, according to People’s Daily.

“This has led to building a virtuous cycle of ecological protection and improvement of people’s livelihoods, bringing about an earth-shaking change in the economic, social and ecological landscape of desertified regions,” the paper quoted him as saying.

Like Tibet and Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region rather than a province of China, with an enhanced level of self-government but no right to secede. Stretching from the Russian border in the north-east to Xinjiang in the west, Inner Mongolia accounts for almost an eighth of China’s land mass but it is relatively sparsely populated, with about 25 million people.

Four in five are Han, the same ethnic group as more than 90 per cent of the Chinese population, and about a fifth are Mongol. After years of turbulence following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, Outer Mongolia broke away from China in 1924 to form the independent state of Mongolia to the north.

Inner Mongolia remained part of China and unlike in Xinjiang and Tibet, there has not been a significant independence movement there since the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949. Mongolian identity is visible throughout the region, however, not least in the celebration of Genghis Khan, whose mausoleum is outside the city of Ordos.

In the centre of Ordos, giant statues of Genghis Khan show him on horseback or driving forward the army that helped him unite the Golden Horde and build a Mongol Empire that stretched from Siberia to the Danube and the Black Sea. Street signs in Ordos are written in Mandarin and in Mongolian, in the script created by Genghis Khan.

Notorious a decade ago for its ghost city of Kangbashi, Ordos has recovered in recent years and the wealth of natural resources nearby has helped to make it one of China’s wealthiest places measured by GDP per capita. The city has some of the best schools in the country and in the Compass Youth Development Centre, a lavishly appointed after-school centre covering 11,000sq m with 110 full-time staff.

The centre offers more than 400 courses in science and technology, art and culture, languages, dance and sport. Children dressed in blue, red and white tracksuits with red kerchiefs operate in groups as they learn everything from assembling a battery-operated appliance to making a small parachute.

Some of the children are ethnic Mongolians but most are Han Chinese and the classes are conducted in Mandarin.

Part of an ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) power transmission project, the largest in the world, is seen on grassland in Ordos. Photograph: Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

“What we hope is for our minority children and Han Chinese children to learn together. And we are more focused on inheriting the excellent traditional culture of our Chinese nation. In the awe of this excellent traditional culture, let children love their Motherland and the Party together,” said Zhang Rong, director of publicity and outreach at the centre.

“This is a social activity, not study but an exercise activity. This is not compulsory education.”

There are Mongolian-language schools where much of the curriculum is taught in Mongolian, and language and traditional music courses are available throughout Inner Mongolia. But the language is a sensitive issue and changes to the curriculum for Mongolian-language schools sparked protests in 2020.

The changes meant that, although all classes in such schools would be taught through Mongolian for the first two years, an increasing number would be in Mandarin after that. The subjects of Language and Literature, Morality and Law, and History would from now on be taught through Mandarin using standard national textbooks.

Similar reforms had already been implemented in Tibet and Xinjiang but earlier attempts to introduce them in Inner Mongolia had been abandoned. This time, Beijing pushed through the changes, which chimed with a new approach to ethnic minorities that played down the Soviet-style autonomy built into China’s constitutional structure in favour of a depoliticised ethnic policy similar to that in the United States, where minorities have the right to equal treatment but have no territorial autonomy or state-backed cultural support.

During his visit to Inner Mongolia this week, Xi spoke of the importance of ensuring that ethnic minorities benefited from the Chinese Communist Party’s common prosperity policies.

“These border ethnic areas cannot fall behind on the road to common prosperity. We must adhere to the people-centered approach, pay more attention to ensuring and improving people’s livelihood in development, make up for shortcomings in people’s livelihood, enhance people’s well-being, and let people of all ethnic groups truly feel that common prosperity is in action and nearby,” he said.

“We must improve the multi-level social security system, promote the expansion of insurance coverage, increase social assistance, medical assistance, subsistence allowances and support measures for families in difficulty, and develop elderly care services and industries.”

But he identified “fortifying the consciousness of the Chinese national community” as the central theme of the Party’s ethnic policy. The economic, political, cultural, social, ecological and Party constructions in ethnic regions should all closely revolve around and never deviate from this central theme.

“Whether introducing laws and regulations or policy measures, the aim should be to reinforce the commonality of the Chinese nation and enhance the sense of the Chinese national community. We should unswervingly and comprehensively implement the use of nationally compiled textbooks, ensuring that young people from all ethnic groups master and use the national common language and script. We should co-ordinate urban and rural construction planning and the allocation of public service resources to create more perfect social conditions for people of all ethnic groups to live, learn, build, share and enjoy together,” he said.

During a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Mongolian government engaged in discussions regarding draft agreements on air traffic with the United Kingdom and Latvia. These agreements aim to enhance air connectivity, facilitate travel, and strengthen bilateral relations between the respective countries.

Promoting Connectivity with the United Kingdom

The government of Mongolia emphasized the significance of fostering air traffic agreements with the United Kingdom. These agreements would not only facilitate smoother travel for passengers but also provide opportunities for increased trade, tourism, and cultural exchange between the two nations. The discussions held at the Cabinet meeting reflected the government’s commitment to promoting closer ties with the United Kingdom.

Strengthening Bilateral Relations with Latvia

Another key focus of the Cabinet meeting was the consideration of draft agreements on air traffic between Mongolia and Latvia. The proposed agreements aim to enhance connectivity and foster stronger bilateral relations between the two countries. By improving air travel links, Mongolia and Latvia seek to boost economic cooperation, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. The discussions held during the meeting highlighted the mutual interest in expanding ties and exploring new avenues for collaboration.

Government Support for Draft Agreements

The Cabinet of Ministers expressed its support for the draft agreements on air traffic between Mongolia and the United Kingdom and Latvia. The government recognizes the importance of efficient air transportation in facilitating economic growth and strengthening diplomatic relations. By endorsing these agreements, Mongolia demonstrates its commitment to expanding its global network and promoting international cooperation.

Enhancing International Connectivity

The proposed air traffic agreements signify Mongolia’s efforts to enhance international connectivity and promote closer relationships with key partner countries. Through increased air travel opportunities, the agreements aim to facilitate the movement of people, goods, and ideas, contributing to economic development and cultural exchange. Such agreements open doors for enhanced cooperation and provide a platform for mutually beneficial partnerships.

BY Mamoon Alvi

Mamoon Alvi serves as an integral part of our global newsroom team. With a strong background in international news from his time at both BOL TV and Dharti TV, he came on board at BNN well-prepared to contribute. Mamoon's unwavering dedication to journalism drives him to relentlessly pursue the truth and deliver crucial stories to audiences around the world.