National Green Lab Shortlists Top Projects for COP17 www.montsame.mn

Mongolia has launched the final selection stage of the “National Green Lab” platform, an initiative aimed at supporting nature-based solutions and sustainable financing ahead of the country’s hosting of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17) in 2026.

Initiated by the Office of the President of Mongolia in partnership with the Mongolian Nature Legacy Foundation and the Business Council of Mongolia, the program seeks to identify environmentally impactful and scalable green projects and prepare them to meet international investment standards.

The platform provides selected projects with two months of technical and financial advisory support, capacity-building programs, and mentorship to help improve investment readiness and connect them with domestic and international investors.

This year’s selection process places particular emphasis on projects related to sustainable pasture management, ecosystem restoration, and conservation, in line with Mongolia’s preparations for COP17 and the UN designation of 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, an initiative proposed by Mongolia.

Projects were accepted in six main categories, including pasture protection, sustainable natural resource use and livelihoods, land restoration and soil health, sustainable supply chains, green finance and market-based conservation financing, and technology-driven pasture management solutions.

A total of 135 projects were submitted, of which 71 advanced to the preliminary evaluation stage. Thirty projects were then shortlisted for the final round, where participants presented their proposals before a panel of judges. More than 10 top-performing projects will advance to the development phase of the National Green Lab platform and receive support for project refinement, investment preparation, and international-level training programs.

Javkhlan Bayarsaikhan, Advisor to the President on Project Coordination and Civil Society Policy, said, “After launching the initiative in February, we accepted project applications through the National Green Lab website. Out of 135 submitted projects, around 70 were selected following registration and preliminary screening. From these, 30 projects advanced to the next selection stage, and we are now working to choose the best proposals for the final round.

“The selected projects will be incubated and further improved until August before being presented during COP17. National Green Lab does not promise direct investment or fundraising. Rather, its goal is to provide free professional support to help projects develop and improve. In other words, whatever type of advice or enhancement a project requires, the platform will provide targeted assistance.

“During this period, participants will also take part in regular training programs, including project development, incubation, and project management training organized by international institutions such as PMI and Ernst & Young. We are also planning two separate events during COP17 where participants will present their projects. At these events, domestic and international investors will have the opportunity to review the improved projects and potentially invest in those they find promising.

“To reiterate, National Green Lab is not an initiative that directly secures investment funding. It is a voluntary collaborative initiative in which partner organizations work together to help projects improve free of charge and prepare them for presentation at the international level,” she said.

Nomindari Enkhtur, Executive Director of the Mongolian Nature’s Legacy Foundation, said, “The Mongolian Nature’s Legacy Foundation is supporting the implementation of this program voluntarily. We are involved in organizing the entire process, from establishing the working office to coordinating operations.

“We will finalize the top 10–15 projects within this week. The selected projects will have the opportunity to present their ideas to the public, foreign delegates, and investors attending COP17. The main goal is to serve as a bridge connecting people with impactful and innovative project ideas to organizations and individuals interested in investment.

“As Mongolia prepares to host COP17, both foreign and domestic investors are showing strong interest in pasture and environmental projects. National Green Lab aims to create opportunities to connect these two sides.

“After the top projects are selected, they will participate in a two-month incubator program providing technical support. Unlike traditional incubators that last for many months, this program is specifically designed to prepare participants for COP17. For example, participants will receive training and advisory support on how to present projects to international investors and how to prepare effective pitches.

“In some cases, projects may demonstrate significant environmental impact but lack financial sustainability. Therefore, depending on each project’s specific needs, professional advice and support will be provided in areas such as finance, environmental impact, project development, and presentation skills. As a result, the selected projects will be prepared according to unified standards, and around 15 projects will have the opportunity to openly present their proposals to the public and investors during a special event organized alongside COP17,” she said.

The judging panel includes representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Mongolia, The Nature Conservancy, the Business Council of Mongolia, the Mongolian Nature’s Legacy Foundation, PMI Mongolia, Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia, and Khan Bank.

Mongolia introduces identification signs for pregnant women www.xinhuanet.com

Mongolia's National Center for Public Health announced on Wednesday that identification signs for pregnant women have begun to be used nationwide as part of efforts to improve their safety and social support.

The signs are being distributed through family and district health centers with the aim of enhancing the safety and well-being of pregnant women while promoting greater public awareness and understanding in public spaces.

According to the center, the initiative seeks to create conditions that encourage appropriate support and respect for pregnant women in public areas, public transportation, and service environments.

The signs are also expected to help inform others in cases where pregnancy may not yet be visibly noticeable during the early stages.

Officials noted that the measure will help foster a more supportive and pregnancy-friendly social environment while also contributing to the safety of pregnant women.

In the Asian country of 3.5 million people, the birth rate has continued to decline year by year. While an average of 80,000 women used to give birth annually, the number fell to 54,000 last year, according to official data.

Road construction for COP-17 to be completed by July 1 www.gogo.mn

The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP-17) will be held in Mongolia from August 17 to 28, 2026.

The capital city is responsible for temporary facilities, road construction, and utility networks for the conference. In this context, bicycle lanes, pedestrian paths, and parking areas are planned to be built over an area of 80,000 square meters.

Overall progress on the project stands at 78%. So far, 10,000 square meters of sidewalks have been paved with colored tiles, 70,000 square meters of cement-reinforced crushed stone have been laid, and 70,000 square meters of asphalt concrete base has been completed.

The road construction is scheduled to be completed by July 1.

B.Purevdagva appointed Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar www.gogo.mn

Prime Minister N.Uchral approved B.Purevdagva as Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar and handed over the mayor’s seal to B.Battsetseg, First Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary.

On May 26, 2026, the non-regular 12th session of the Citizens' Representatives Khural of the Capital City held, and B.Purevdagva, a member of the board of the Mongolian People’s Party and its secretary, was nominated as Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar and was supported by a majority vote.

the Citizens' Representatives Khural of the Capital City subsequently approved the draft resolution appointing B.Purevdagva as Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar and submitted it to Prime Minister N.Uchral, making him the 37th mayor of Ulaanbaatar.

In his remarks, B.Purevdagvа expressed gratitude to the city’s previous leaders for strengthening Ulaanbaatar’s legal and economic capacity and creating new development opportunities. He said he would ensure the implementation of the roadmap promised to citizens and continue major projects and programs in an open and transparent manner.

Interim Trade Agreement to Diversify Export Structure, Markets www.montsame.mn

The Interim Trade Agreement between Mongolia, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and its member states will officially enter into force on July 22 this year.

To formalize the arrangement, Minister of Economy and Development of Mongolia Enkhbayar Jadamba and Member of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission in charge of Trade A. A. Slepnev signed the “Joint Statement on the Entry into Force of the Interim Trade Agreement between Mongolia, the Eurasian Economic Union, and its Member States.”

During an online meeting jointly organized by the Ministry of Economy and Development and the Eurasian Economic Commission, the Commission officially handed over to Davaa D., Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to Russia, diplomatic notes confirming that all EAEU member states have ratified the agreement in accordance with their domestic legislation.

The parties also endorsed a “Joint Roadmap for the Implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement between Mongolia, the Eurasian Economic Union, and its Member States,” and expressed their commitment to closely cooperate in ensuring its effective implementation and in strengthening collaboration among relevant institutions, the Ministry of Economy and Development reported.

The agreement is expected to create more favorable conditions for Mongolian export products to enter the EAEU market of over 180 million consumers. It is also significant for reducing trade barriers, improving the business environment, and expanding cooperation in trade, investment, and industrial production. Furthermore, the agreement will enhance Mongolia’s participation in regional economic integration and support the diversification of the country’s export structure and markets.

The online meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Economy and Development and the Eurasian Economic Commission, as well as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to Russia and the Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan accredited to Mongolia.

Toward a US-Mongolia Critical Minerals Partnership www.nationalinterest.org

China’s northern neighbor has the potential to help reduce US and global reliance on Beijing’s critical minerals.
China’s rocky relationship with Taiwan frequently sparks headlines, but its bond with Mongolia hardly ever does. Beijing, however, does not view Mongolia as just another neighbor. 

In his diaries from a 1974–1975 posting in Beijing, George HW Bush—then chief of the US Liaison Office in China—recalled a stunning admission from Deng Xiaoping. On the topic of Mongolia, which had been part of the Qing Dynasty territory prior to Mongolian independence in 1911, Deng complained to Bush that Mongolia had been “unfairly” taken away from China by Russia. Deng added that, while China would not attempt to retake Mongolia in the near-term, the situation could be different “in a hundred years.” 

Half a century has passed since Deng’s remark, and while much attention is paid to Beijing’s remonstrances regarding Taiwan—and rightly so—the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) holds similarly expansionist positions regarding Mongolia. 

The China-Mongolia question is not merely a historical curiosity or a matter of Inner Asian affairs; it is highly relevant to another facet of US-China competition: the need to develop supply chain alternatives to China’s current monopoly on rare-earth production and exports. 

In recent years, Chinese restrictions on rare-earth exports and near-complete control of rare-earth refining capacity have forced the United States and EU countries to develop alternative sources of supply and refinement rapidly. In this process, the opportunity for the United States to cooperate with Mongolia to develop and export Mongolia’s rare-earth reserves has been overlooked. 

China continues to aggressively seek control over Mongolia, not only for the neo-colonial reasons mentioned above, but also to further solidify its chokehold on global rare-earth supply chains by integrating Mongolia’s vast reserves into its extractive arsenal. 

Mongolia, a sparsely populated nation of 3.5 million people, sandwiched between Russia and China, is estimated to hold about 17 percent of world reserves, second only to China’s 24 percent share. In June 2023, Mongolia and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which both sides “agreed to advance secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region.” 

One month before the agreement was signed, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Mongolia. Part of his visit focused on enhancing cooperation between Orano, a French nuclear company, and MonAtom, Mongolia’s state-owned nuclear enterprise, regarding the Zuuvch Ovoo uranium mine in southern Mongolia. In January 2025, Orano and MonAtom reached an agreement to develop Zuuvch Ovoo jointly. 

France has clearly recognized the value of joint mineral exploration in Mongolia. The time has come for the United States to do the same, based on the following principles:

First, Mongolia and the United States share a joint commitment to constitutional governance, democracy, and freedom of speech.

Second, Mongolia holds a large share of the world’s rare-earth reserves and would greatly benefit from their development.

Third, the United States maintains a strategic interest in sourcing refined rare-earth elements from countries not identified as nations of concern. 

Based on these principles, the United States and Mongolia should consider the following avenues of cooperation:

1. Joint development of rare-earth deposits in Mongolia involving an American-Mongolian consortium of companies. 

2. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) financing of rare-earth refining capacity in Mongolia, in concert with the French, South Korean, and other countries with relevant capabilities.

3. DFC partial financing of a nuclear power plant in Mongolia, solving long-term issues with the capital, Ulaanbaatar’s, power supply, and divesting Mongolian energy supply away from Russia and China.

4. DFC financing of American-made agricultural equipment sales to Mongolia, as American agricultural equipment is best-in-class and highly sought after in Mongolia. Further sales would strengthen Mongolian food security while supporting America’s productive economy. 

5. Department of State authorization of Farmer-in-Residence and Rancher-in-Residence positions at the US Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, to provide expert technical advice to the Mongolian agricultural sector and build on shared cultural traditions of horsemanship.

For cooperation to be lasting and effective, Mongolia must ensure that American investors are protected and not subject to arbitrary regulations. At the same time, the use of DFC financing, given its clear sponsorship from the US government, will help to deter regulatory irregularities.

However, the largest obstacle to effective and realistic US-Mongolia engagement is China’s attempt to reduce Mongolia to a vassal state entirely reliant on the People’s Republic of China. China’s neo-colonial approach to Mongolia is causing concern among foreign investors in Mongolia’s rare-earth sector. Since shipping Mongolian products through China is the most cost-effective, China’s unpredictable policies could delay or seize rare-earth shipments destined for countries such as the United States or Japan. 

To counteract potential anti-trade measures from China, multinational, coalition-based financing and extraction efforts ought to be utilized. Indeed, China has demonstrated a clear appetite for imposing punitive measures on American companies seeking to develop alternative supply chains outside China-dominated industries, such as the rare-earth industry. 

However, China is far less likely to inflict such punitive measures if rare-earth development projects are organized at the multilateral level. While Beijing pulls no punches when criticizing or inflicting punitive measures on the United States, it is less likely to engage in disruptive activity if countries such as South Korea or France are involved. 

To prevent yet another democratic, America-aligned ally from falling further into China’s grip, the US and its partners must pool readily available institutional resources with a sense of urgency. After all, there is much to be gained in the process.

About the Author: Edward Owen
Edward Owen is a senior policy analyst in the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation. His work analyzes Chinese activity in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Before joining Heritage, Owen worked as a director at Baron Public Affairs, a political risk consultancy. At Baron, he supported consulting projects for private-sector clients and the US Department of War, providing insight into PLA strategy, CCP bureaucracy, regulatory culture, and global Chinese commercial networks. His role at Baron saw him travel extensively across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Hollins Randolph, a former member of Heritage’s Young Leaders Program, contributed to this article.

New Gypsum Board Plant Opens to Meet Domestic Demand www.montsame.mn

New Progress Group’s subsidiary Eco Drive LLC has officially launched its “Alpha” eco gypsum board factory in Sergelen soum, Tuv aimag.

Mongolia currently imports gypsum boards worth around MNT 100 billion each year. The new factory is expected to fully meet domestic demand, allowing the country to retain that amount within the local economy annually.

President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa attended the opening ceremony and wished success to the group and company staff. He also urged businesses in the construction sector and citizens to support domestic producers by buying locally made products.

The factory’s launch has created permanent jobs for more than 100 locals.

Mongolia imported 8.8 million square meters of gypsum board in 2023, and the figure more than doubled to 18.5 million square meters by 2025. According to the sector ministry, the government aims to develop domestic manufacturing not only to replace imports but also to create export-oriented, value-added production that meets international standards.

New Progress Group has operated in infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, and construction since 2000. The group has more than 10 subsidiaries and over 1,500 employees. Its major project, the Khovd Eco Cement plant, produces 250,000 tonnes of cement annually — enough to build 504 kindergartens — and supplies the western region of Mongolia.

Investment in Forestry Sector to Be Intensified www.montsame.mn

The European Investment Bank is considering providing up to EUR 100 million in loans to Mongolia’s forestry sector and is working with other development partners and financing institutions to establish an overall investment package of up to EUR 200 million.

According to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the matter was discussed during a meeting between Deputy Minister Munkhtamir Batbayar and representatives of the European Investment Bank, including Jean Philippe Stijns and Alexander Horst, as well as representatives of the Delegation of the European Union.

During the meeting, they reviewed the progress of the feasibility study for the “Sustainable Forest Management and Bioeconomy” investment program planned under the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative. The parties also discussed project management, implementation structure, coordination among participating organizations, and financing opportunities.

Deputy Minister Munkhtamir noted that the investment program proposal has already been submitted to the Ministry of Economy and Development for inclusion in the 2027 development plan, adding that preparations are being intensified in cooperation with other ministries and organizations.

The parties also exchanged views on presenting the investment roadmap and study findings during the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17), to be held in Ulaanbaatar, to attract additional international investment.

‘Xac Broncos’ Win Bronze at Asian Champions League www.montsame.mn

Mongolian professional basketball team “Xac Broncos” (competing as the Chinggis Broncos) secured the bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Champions League.

The team advanced to the semifinals after recording one win and one loss in the final stage. They later fell to Hong Kong’s South Athletic China by a score of 75–90, sending them to the bronze medal match.

In the third-place game on May 24, the Mongolian team defeated Indonesia’s league champion Dewa United 84–66, finishing in third place. With this result, the team has now won medals at the tournament in consecutive years after capturing the championship title last year.

In the bronze medal game, State Honored Athlete Bilguun B. recorded seven points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and one block in an all-around performance. Meanwhile, Azbayar A. led the scoring with 15 points along with eight rebounds and three blocks, while Ikhbayar Ch. added 14 points and four rebounds.

Speaking at the post-game press conference, Bilguun said, “The Indonesian team was very strong. We performed below expectations in the first game, but we tried not to repeat our mistakes in the bronze medal match. We aimed to defend our title but could not achieve it. Still, a bronze medal is something you earn through victory, so we are happy. Next year, we will adapt to the rule changes.”

The 2026 Asian Champions League title was won by Hong Kong’s South Athletic China.

Minneapolis restaurateur Billy Sushi hosting 4 youth hockey players from Mongolia www.cbsnews.com

The man known as Billy Sushi is hosting four youth hockey players and two coaches 6,000 miles from home.

The popular Minneapolis restaurateur was visiting his home country, Mongolia, when he saw something that reminded him of his current home.

"Driving through this tiny mining town and I saw this old Soviet Union era hockey rink," he said. "So, I go over and I saw there was a couple people hanging around. I said, 'You guys play hockey?' and they said, 'Yeah, we do play hockey.' And I'm like, 'Show me!'"

That was the start.

"Minnesota is so crazy. It's good," said 13-year-old Gerelt Dulguun, who they affectionately call "G-Man."

The outdoor rinks in Baganuur, Mongolia, are only open three months a year, so this trip to the State of Hockey is a hockey culture shock.

"They come out, they're skating, they are like 'Oh my god this is so flat, so clean!'" said Billy, on the first time the kids, ranging from ages 15 to 13, stepped on a Minnesota sheet of ice. "They come back and they're like, 'I can go fast,'"

The players have been practicing and playing tournaments with the local Pro Hybrid development program.

"Their passion is they're looking to learn the game and see what it is here in our communities, where hockey is such a big part of the fabric of our communities here, and getting a chance to showcase that has been awesome," said coach Brendan Cook.

The players have been practicing twice a day. They even took third place at a tournament held at Minnetonka High School.

When the Wild were still in the NHL playoffs. They got to meet Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy at Grand Casino Arena and watch a playoff game.