On December 23, Minister of Foreign Affairs B. Battsetseg had an online meeting with her Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi to discuss relations and cooperation-related issues between the countries.

Noting the significance of Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene’s visit to Japan in July this year, the Foreign Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the announcement of 2022 as the ‘Mongolia-Japan Year of Friendship and Exchange of Children and Youth’ on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. As part of the celebration, the parties agreed to work actively to organize high-level visits, support youth exchanges, strengthen public-private partnerships and fortify people-to-people ties.

Noting that the strategic partnership between Mongolia and Japan is expanding year by year, the Ministries emphasized that the countries are cooperating closely even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister B.Battsetseg thanked the Government of Japan for its extensive support in reducing the risk of a pandemic in Mongolia by providing soft loans, strengthening the health care system, supplying the necessary equipment, donating vaccines and establishing cold chain system.

The two sides highlighted that bilateral relations have steadily developed for 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, especially with intensive development from 1990s which led to present strategic partnership level, and discussed the future of 50 years of cooperation. Minister B.Battsetseg said that Mongolia's future development requires the establishment of a multi-pillar economic structure, increased exports, improved infrastructure, energy and logistics, for which it necessitates to attract new technology and investment from Japan and increase of bilateral trade. She stressed the importance of clearly outlining the directions of post-pandemic economic relations and cooperation in the new Mid-term Program for 2022-2025, which is planned to be approved next year by both countries.

They reaffirmed that the parties are for deepening our cooperation within the UN and international organizations.

The 6th Strategic Dialogue between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia and the People's Republic of China was held virtually on December 23. The virtual meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia B.Munkhjin and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wu Jianghao.

The sides expressed pleasure that bilateral relations are progressing amid the pandemic, emphasizing that the heads of state, parliament speakers, and the prime ministers of the two countries had phone conversations and made high-level visits in 2021, and agreed to organize high-level visits and meetings next year.

The deputy foreign ministers underscored that trade and economic cooperation has grown compared to last year and that there has been a noticeable increase in trade between the two countries. Moreover, they exchanged views at length on keeping trade and economic cooperation as smooth as possible during the pandemic, especially on intensifying border checkpoint activities and increasing the entry rate of goods.

The Mongolian side put forth proposals to promptly resume freight transport across Zamiin-Uud-Erenhot border checkpoint, ensure normal rail transport, restore export of non-mining products, intensify the activities of Shiveekhuren-Sekhee and Bichigt-Zuunkhatavch border checkpoints, raise entry rate of goods through Gashuunsikhait-Gantsmod and Khangi-Mandal border checkpoints, and enable transport of goods that require special permits through Gashuusukhait-Gantsmod, Shiveekhuren-Sekhee, Bulgan-Takashiken, Bichigt-Zuunkhatavch, and Khangi-Mandal border checkpoints. The Chinese side acknowledged the proposals and undertook to take action, stressing the importance of improving infection control measures and reducing the risk of cross-border transmission in increasing the entry rate of goods.

Deputy Minister B.Munkhjin thanked the Chinese side for its support to Mongolia’s pandemic efforts as well as the assistance of vaccines and other products.

The sides agreed to study the feasibility of easing travel restrictions in light of the pandemic situation.

They also discussed regional and international issues of shared interest and affirmed their willingness to further strengthen cooperation within regional and multilateral mechanisms.

The Strategic Dialogue is organized annually between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs at a Deputy-Ministerial level to review the development of bilateral relations and discuss short-term goals and major events, and regional and international cooperation.

The copper price catapulted to a record high of $4.762 per pound ($10,476 a tonne) in 2021 as top consumer China staged an economic rebound and exchange inventories hit a 47-year low.

Disruptions in top producers Chile and Peru and the Biden Administration’s infrastructure plan also helped to build momentum for the bellwether metal, crucial in the global push for a greener economy.

The bullish sentiment was defined by Goldman Sachs, which called the metal the “new oil” in a May report.

Meanwhile, the biggest copper mining project in decades began production in May. In a turbulent year, here are the top copper stories of 2021.

#1 Chile

The world’s top producer decided to rewrite its Pinochet-era constitution that underpinned nearly three decades of mining growth in the South American nation.

A new taxes and royalties bill already approved by the Senate could, if unaltered, put at risk some 1 million tonnes of annual output, representing around 4% of global copper supply.

The legislation, which faces multiple procedural hurdles, would impose a royalty as high as 75% on sales of copper to pay for social programs.

Taxing copper Chile. Bill

Companies including BHP say the bill as it stands — with sales tax brackets that increase as metal prices rise — would derail investments.

With the election of leftist president Gabriel Boric in December, the bill could become law.

Boric, a 35-year-old former law student, vowed during his campaign to bury Chile’s “neo liberal” economic model. Although he later softened his message, he has kept the idea of giving the State a more active role in the sector, as well as higher royalties.

During his victory speech, Boric reiterated he would oppose mining initiatives that “destroy” the environment, particularly the controversial $2.5 billion Dominga copper and iron ore project that was approved this year.

“Destroying the world is destroying ourselves. We do not want more ‘sacrifice zones’, we do not want projects that destroy our country, that destroy communities and we exemplify this in a case that has been symbolic: No to Dominga,” he said.

Chile’s copper output sank to a seven-month low in September, on the back of labour disruptions, including an almost one-month strike at Codelco’s Andina mine near the capital Santiago.

#2 Peru

Neighboring country Peru, the second-largest producer of copper in the world also saw the rise of a new left-wing leader.

In June, socialist Pedro Castillo won a long and tense presidential election battle.

Castillo says he wants to increase spending on healthcare and education by raising the funds from mining tax hikes, redistributing profits to Andean communities like those around the huge Las Bambas project, owned by China’s MMG.

The promises are now being tested, with protests and blockades at Las Bambas in the country’s south straining government negotiators, a reflection of wider tensions between indigenous communities and the key mining sector.

The government and one local community agreed on a temporary truce last week after a three-week-long road blockade of a key transport road in the region of Chumbivilcas almost led to a shutdown of the mine that produces some 2% of global copper.

But tensions remain high, with threats of further blockades as critics say the leftist government has not lived up to its promises to voters in mining regions, who bolstered his campaign.

Chile and Peru together constitute close to 40% of the world’s copper production.

# 3 Kamoa-Kakula

While top producer South America saw turbulence in 2021, Canada’s Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) announced the beginning of operations at its massive Kamoa-Kakula project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) months ahead of schedule.

Kakula, the first mine planned at the concession, is initially forecast to generate 3.8 million tonnes of ore a year at an average feed grade “well in excess of 6% copper” over the first five years of operation, the company said.

Ivanhoe founder Robert Friedland believes the project will become the world’s second-largest copper mine and also the one with the highest grades among major operations.

See how Kamoa-Kakula fares among the world’s top 10 biggest copper mines:

The Vancouver-based company has also vowed to produce the industry’s “greenest” copper, as it works to become the first net-zero operational carbon emitter among the world’s top-tier copper producers.

# Chinese investment

China consumes nearly 14 million tonnes of copper each year – more than the rest of the world combined. But domestic supply last year was only around 2m tonnes, including scrap, and mined output has been stagnant for years.

In a presentation at the Wood Mackenzie LME Forum, Nick Pickens, research director for copper markets, showed two graphs that put China’s significant copper supply challenges in perspective.

Imported concentrate, including from roughly 30 Chinese-owned mines in Africa and elsewhere, now supplies 40% of the country’s needs, a share that has more than doubled over the past decade as imports set fresh records every year.

Over and above direct foreign investment in mining projects around the world, China has splashed more than $16 billion on buying overseas copper companies and assets since 2010.

Glencore’s disposal, under some duress, of Las Bambas in Peru to a Chinese consortium, China Moly’s 2016 acquisition of the Tenke Fungurume mine from Freeport for $2.65 billion and Zijin Mining’s joint venture with Ivanhoe Mines on the Kamoa-Kakula mine, both in the Congo, are three high-profile examples.

#2022

Higher supplies and softer demand are expected to cool copper prices next year.

Expectations of slower demand growth in China and rising supplies from operations such as Anglo American’s Quellaveco mine in Peru are likely to keep prices subdued next year.

“Long-term prospects for copper remain bullish, but the market looks set to be on pause next year compared to this year,” said Karen Norton, senior base metals analyst at Refinitiv, who expects a modest copper surplus next year.

Goldman Sachs sees fears of China’s property slowdown as overblown, saying gains from EVs, renewables and electrical network investment outweigh the policy-moderated drag from property and machinery.

Mine supply is expected to rise 3.9% to nearly 22 million tonnes next year, according to the International Copper Study Group, which expects a surplus of 328,000 tonnes in the refined market.

Bank of America expects demand to hold firm next year and only sees a surplus in 2023. It forecasts prices to average $9,813 a tonne next year and $8,375 a tonne in 2023.

Demand for copper from efforts to decarbonise will intensify, with JPMorgan forecasting it will account for more than 40% of overall demand growth next year in the 25-million-tonne market.

JPMorgan forecasts total copper demand from energy transition rising from 1.8 million tonnes this year, to more than 3 million tonnes by 2025.

(With files from Reuters and Bloomberg)

Many women in Mongolia experience disrespectful, abusive or neglectful treatment during childbirth in health facilities. Such treatment not only violates the rights of women to respectful care, but can also threaten their rights to life, health, bodily integrity, and freedom from discrimination. This is considered obstetric violence, but this understanding or concept is somewhat “new” for Mongolians. In other words, not many people are aware that this is a form of violation, it is not reflected in the law, and the state has been completely ignorant to this issue.

While disrespectful and abusive treatment of women may occur throughout pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period, women are particularly vulnerable during childbirth. Such practices may have direct adverse consequences for both the mother and infant.

According to Cara Terreri, community manager of Giving Birth with Confidence Lamaze, obstetric violence is the physical, sexual, or verbal abuse, bullying, coercion, humiliation, or assault that occurs to laboring and birthing people by medical staff, including nurses, doctors, and midwives. Among others, adolescents, unmarried women, women of low socioeconomic status, women from ethnic minorities, migrant women and women living with HIV are particularly likely to experience disrespectful and abusive treatment during labor and childbirth.

Abuse, neglect or disrespect during childbirth can amount to a violation of a woman’s fundamental human rights, as described in internationally adopted human rights standards and principles. In particular, pregnant women have a right to be equal in dignity, be free to seek, receive and impart information, be free from discrimination, and enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including sexual and reproductive health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

However, due to the lack of legal framework and policies to ensure the rights of pregnant women in Mongolia, there are still cases of loss of health and life. Nationwide, the average maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births between 2016 and 2019 was 24, according to the National Statistics Office. In 2019, infant mortality accounted for 62.2 percent of neonatal mortality, which is 1.5 percentage points higher from the average of the last 10 years. As of 2019, 1,041 cases of infant mortality were registered, of which 841 cases or 80.8 percent were hospital deaths.

In the last 10 years, infant mortality has been primarily caused by neonatal miscarriage, cerebral ischemia, and neonatal-specific infections. In 2019, 16.6 percent of infant deaths were caused by congenital malformations or chromosomal abnormalities, 10.5 percent by respiratory diseases, 6.5 percent by other external injuries, and 2.5 percent by infectious and parasitic diseases.

On average for the past decade, 190 cases or 16.4 percent of infant deaths occurred at home without medical care. In 2019, 176 cases of home deaths were registered, accounting for 16.9 percent of infant deaths. An average of 0.7 percent of all births in the last 10 years are reportedly stillbirths.

Only women who have given birth know what lies behind the door to the delivery room. They would agree that these figures do not paint the whole picture and that terrible things can occur in hospitals. Every year, 60,000 to 80,000 women give birth nationwide. Unfortunately, there are many cases of abuse in pregnant women. In Mongolia, reports of disrespectful and abusive treatment during childbirth in facilities have included outright physical abuse, profound humiliation and verbal abuse, coercive or unconsented medical procedures (including sterilization), lack of confidentiality, failure to get fully informed consent, refusal to give pain medication, gross violations of privacy, refusal of admission to health facilities, neglecting women during childbirth to suffer life-threatening and avoidable complications, and detention of women and their newborns in facilities after childbirth due to their inability to pay.

Some mothers commented on the real situation of maternity hospitals on the Facebook group “For Maternal and Child Health”. For instance, one woman wrote, “I gave birth last week. I was not examined by a doctor on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. I was not in pain but on Friday, my roommate began to bleed after a vaginal exam. The doctor and nurse ignored it. It turned out that she had lost her baby while bleeding out. But she did not complain. Pregnant women are often scolded by doctors during birthing. Even when doctors make mistakes, they scold us instead and take advantage of our lack of medical knowledge.”

“One night there was no doctor in the hospital. One woman’s family demanded hospital staff to call a doctor. But the woman was ‘ousted’ from the hospital only eight hours after giving birth. Even in my case, a nurse delivered my baby,” another member of the group commented.

Another woman said that while she was in the maternity hospital, a lady lost her baby. She had apparently begged for a caesarean section, but the doctors ignored her request and couldn’t let the baby draw its first birth.

In 2015, a 38-year-old woman who was pregnant started bleeding and went to the Urgoo Maternity Hospital. However, the hospital staff did not accept her, saying, “Residents of Sukhbaatar District must go to the Khuree Maternity Hospital.” The hospital could have taken immediate action and avoided a miscarriage, but they did not. When she arrived the Khuree hospital, she was told, “Since you had a miscarriage, you should come on Monday to get an outpatient examination.”

The WHO recommends emergency surgery after a miscarriage to save a mother’s life. But the doctors of this maternity hospital appear not to have known that.

In 2013, a nurse of Bayankhongor Province’s General Hospital burned a newborn baby in boiling hot water, according to reports. Later, at the Third Maternity Hospital, doctors left a bandage about two meters long in a mother’s womb during caesarean section. In Sukhbaatar Province, a mother who was taken to the hospital to give birth was reported unable to walk again due to medical malpractice.

In November 2015, a mother who went to the Urguu Maternity Hospital to give birth died with her infant. The doctors had apparently told to her, “There is no bed, it’s not time to give birth,” before sending her back. After a forensic examination confirmed that the doctors were at fault, the hospital’s management simply apologized to the family of the deceased.

GREATER SUPPORT IS NEEDED FROM GOVERNMENT

UN special rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences Reem Alsalem, who visited Mongolia earlier this month, revealed these gaps in identifying gender-differentiated impacts of gaps in the health sector. She discovered that there are no laws or regulations that allow for the response to obstetric violence in Mongolia.

In fact, the procedure for care during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum was updated last year based on the National Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health Program. However, it does not address the issue of obstetric violence. In other words, in Mongolia, women who experienced obstetric violence cannot take any action against medical staff by law. It’s not possible for mothers to be compensated for the financial and emotional damage.

The WHO addressed this gap in a 2014 statement on mistreatment during childbirth and its associated human rights violations, calling for greater action, dialogue, research, and advocacy on this global problem. Accordingly, many governments, professional societies, researchers, international organizations, civil society groups and communities worldwide have already highlighted the need to address this problem and have begun to take action against obstetric violence.

For instance, in the US, there are rights specific to pregnant and birthing people in a document called, “The Rights of Childbearing Women,” which details 20 specific rights, including the right to accept or refuse procedures, drugs, tests, and treatments, and have those choices honored. When these rights in childbirth are ignored or forcibly denied, it is considered as obstetric violence and illegal in the country. In addition to seeking justice for mistreatment in birth, those who have experienced obstetric violence can be compensated for healing the trauma from their birth. Victims can demand monetary compensation for the harm done.

Mongolian authorities believe that only increasing salaries can contribute to improved attitudes of medical staff and elimination of ethical violations. Therefore, last year, a regulation was introduced to raise salaries of medical workers who did not commit any ethical violation. However, the current situation and international examples show that Mongolia needs tougher measures and policies to address this issue.

In fact, even local offices and authorities didn’t know what obstetric violence was when we asked them to comment and share insights into the matter. This calls for greater action to raise awareness of this form of human rights violation and support for changes in provider behavior, clinical environments and health systems to ensure that all women have access to respectful, competent and caring maternity health care services. Moreover, greater support from the government and development partners is needed for further research on defining and measuring disrespect and abuse in public and private facilities worldwide, and better understand its impact on women’s health experiences and choices.

Health systems must be accountable for the treatment of women during childbirth, ensuring clear policies on rights and ethical standards are developed and implemented. Health-care providers at all levels should require support and training to ensure that childbearing women are treated with compassion and dignity, as recommended by experts.

To achieve a high standard of respectful care during childbirth, health systems must be organized and managed in a manner that ensures respect for women’s sexual and reproductive health and human rights. Ensuring access to safe, acceptable, good quality sexual and reproductive health care, particularly contraceptive access and maternal health care, can dramatically reduce rates of maternal morbidity and mortality.

Under the ‘Vision-2050’ long-term development policy of Mongolia adopted by the 2020 Resolution No. 52 of the State Great Khural, the Government’s action program for 2020-2024, and the Cabinet’s December 15, 2021 resolution regarding the plan to develop a new free zone in Khushig Valley, a Memorandum of Understanding was established between the ‘Construction Development Center’ state-owned enterprise and the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority of the Republic of Korea on December 21.

The MoU was signed by Director of ‘Construction Development Center’ Ts.Amarsanaa and Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority’s Commissioner Lee Won-jae.

The sides will cooperate in developing general development plan, feasibility study and engineering and infrastructure plans for the free economic zone, intensifying cooperation, setting up a joint expert team, exchanging knowledge and experience by conducting studies, and upskilling employees as part of the development of a satellite city in Khushig valley.

China Minmetals Rare Earth Co said on Wednesday it would merge with two of China’s other top rare earth producers into a new company under the state assets regulator, creating a global force in the strategic industry.

China is the world’s dominant producer of rare earths, a group of 17 minerals used in consumer electronics and military equipment. Moves to consolidate China’s “Big Six” state-run rare earth companies have been seen as a way to boost influence over pricing.

China’s control of 85-90% of the rare earths processing sector means an uneasy reliance on Chinese supply for the United States, especially at times of high trade tensions.

Minmetals Rare Earth, which had flagged in September that talks about such a restructuring were underway, said in a filing its parent had been notified by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac) that the merger had been approved.

Under the merger, the equity of Minmetals Rare Earth, Chinalco Rare Earth & Metals Co and China Southern Rare Earth Group Co will transfer into a new company, which was not named.

CRU Group consultant Daan de Jonge said the combined entity would be second only to China Northern Rare Earth Group in terms of overall rare earths output and account for around 70% of China’s heavy rare earths production, based on quotas for the first half of 2021.

“This will mean that the pricing power of key rare earths, such as dysprosium and terbium, will be in the hands of one ‘super group’,” he said.

Dysprosium and terbium are key inputs for rare earth magnets, used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines.

Prices for both are up around 50% in 2021, striking multi-year highs as demand recovers from a pandemic-driven dip, while power curbs on Chinese industry and disruption to ore supply from Myanmar have constrained production.

Jiangxi Ganzhou Rare Metal Exchange Co, a fledgling bourse for spot transactions, and Ganzhou Zhonglan Rare Earth New Material Technology Co will also be folded into the new entity.

Ganzhou, a city in southern China’s Jiangxi province, is home to Minmetals Rare Earth and China Southern Rare Earth Group. It is a hub for heavy rare earth smelting and separation – or processing into a form that can be used by manufacturers.

Outside China, most investment in separation is in the United States, Australia and Britain, but the majority is focused on light rare earths, de Jonge said. That means heavy rare earths would still need to be separated in China, he noted.

(By Tom Daly and Ella Cao; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Kirsten Donovan and Jane Merriman)

The Ministry of Health reported today that 191 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the past 24 hours. Specifically, 97 cases were confirmed in Ulaanbaatar city, with 87 cases in rural regions and seven imported cases.

In addition, one COVID-19 related death has been reported, raising the country’s death toll to 1,978. Of the 2,076 patients currently undergoing treatment at hospitals, there are 758 patients in mild, 1,017 in serious, 267 in critical, and 34 in very critical conditions.

As of today, the coverage of 1st dose is 69.6 percent (2,265,155) and 2nd dose – 66.4 percent (2,161,678) of the total population. Moreover, 876,936 people (27.0 percent) have received 3rd dose or a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines nationwide.

With the opening of the Chinggis Khaan International Airport in the Khushig Valley, the Cabinet has decided to use the Buyant-Ukhaa Airport for civil aviation. Specifically, the airport will be used as a backup facility, reports Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia. The annual cost is estimated to be MNT 9.8 billion.

“The cost can be recouped by putting the airport into economic circulation, and turning it into a business hub. We have received to cooperation proposals from numerous organizations which operate in the field of training, business, banking and finance. We plan to cooperate with international financial institutions as part of our 'Attractive Airport' policy,” said Chief of Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia (MCAA) S.Munkhnasan during the meeting with the staff of the Aviation Information Service and the Buyant-Ukhaa Airport.

Russia’s S7 Airlines has successfully carried out the country’s first flight on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The A320neo – which flew from the Airbus plant in Toulouse, France to Moscow – was fueled entirely by a mixture of SAF, consisting of organic compounds and classic aviation fuel. The fuel used for the flight had 10% of biofuel in it, but “even this amount reduced CO2 emissions on this flight by 7%,” or 1.7 tons, the airline said in a statement.

According to S7, the total use of SAF in the world currently stands at 0.03%. The airline carrier recently announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Meanwhile, last week, several Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, announced the creation of the Eurasian SAF Alliance, which aims to start operating SAF-fueled flights in Russia on a regular basis no later than 2024.

“This is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that such flights are real and that they are the future of sustainable air transportation,” said S7 CEO Tatiana Fileva, adding that it is now up to the fuel sector to organize sufficient SAF production in the medium term.

The head of Airbus in Russia, Julien Franyatt, noted that Airbus planes are currently certified to fly on 50% of the SAF mixture, but the company plans to increase this figure to 100% by the end of the decade. Airbus has already delivered more than 75 planes using SAF, and a number of airlines around the world are already using the fuel for commercial flights. Most recently, US-based United Airlines operated the first-ever passenger flight using 100% SAF on one of its plane’s two engines on December 3.

Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia on Wednesday banned public celebrations of the traditional White Moon festival or the Lunar New Year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The government has decided not to widely celebrate the upcoming White Moon due to the pandemic," the government's press office said in a statement.

Mongolians will be allowed to celebrate the holiday with their family members, it said.

The White Moon, one of the most celebrated and important holidays in Mongolia, symbolizes the start of spring and end of winter.

As of Wednesday, Mongolia has registered a total number of 388,872 COVID-19 infections, with 1,977 related deaths.