The Speaker of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, Gerry Brownlee, will pay an official visit to Mongolia www.parliament.mn

At the invitation of Mr. Amarbayasgalan Dashzegve, Chairman of the State Great Hural of Mongolia, The Right Honourable Gerard Brownlee, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of New Zealand, will pay an official visit to Mongolia from 31 August to 3 September 2025.
The upcoming visit is the first-ever visit at the level of the Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament to Mongolia and is aimed at expanding the scope of bilateral relations, increasing the frequency of high-level exchanges and dialogues, and strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation. Within the framework of the visit, Speaker of the State Great Hural D. Amarbayasgalan and Speaker of the House of Representatives G. Brownlee will hold official talks.
Mongolia and New Zealand established diplomatic relations on 8 April 1975, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the bilateral relations.

Mongolia's forex reserves reach 5.38 bln USD www.xinhuanet.com

Mongolia's foreign exchange reserves stood at 5.38 billion U.S. dollars at the end of July 2025, according to the country's central bank on Monday.
The figure represents a 3.34-percent increase over the previous month and a decrease of 2.36 percent since the beginning of this year, the Bank of Mongolia said in a statement.
The central bank expects to increase the country's foreign exchange reserves to 6.5 billion dollars in the medium term and up to 10 billion dollars in the long term.
According to the regulator, Mongolia's foreign exchange reserves stood at 5.5 billion dollars by the end of December 2024.

Will China’s ‘Great Green Wall’ expand to Mongolia in joint desertification fight? www.scmp.com

China and Mongolia are joining forces to build an ecological security barrier to combat desertification and sandstorms, which may involve an expansion of the Chinese “Great Green Wall” across their shared border.
The project is the latest in joint efforts to help slow the spread of desertification in the Mongolian Plateau.
With nearly 80 per cent of Mongolian land degraded, the country’s battle with desertification has consequences that extend beyond its borders, posing challenges for the wider East Asian region.
The Gobi Desert, spanning a vast swathe of northern and northeastern China and parts of southern Mongolia, is a key source of sand and dust for sandstorms that have become increasingly severe in recent years, driven by stronger winds and growing desertification.
In 2021, China had its worst sandstorm in a decade as yellow sand and dust blanketed a dozen northern provinces, leading to soaring pollution levels and several deaths.
In recent decades, Beijing has launched massive reforestation and sand-control efforts to halt the spread of the Gobi Desert, which is the largest in Asia.
The project, also known as China’s “Great Green Wall”, has reduced sandstorms originating within the country’s borders.
However, severe sandstorms influenced by conditions in Mongolia have revealed that the efforts may need to be taken across the border to prove more effective.
In June, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Mongolian Academy of Sciences (MAS) met in Ulaanbaatar to discuss the “joint construction of an ecological security barrier between China and Mongolia”.
“Dramatic climate change, coupled with increased disasters and ecological risks such as sandstorms, has not only had a significant ecological impact on Mongolia but also posed a serious ecological threat to [China] through cross-border transmission,” the CAS Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research said on its website.
As part of the trip, experts from both countries conducted field research “in key areas of ecological barrier construction” in Mongolia’s central Govisümber province, including visiting jointly designed experimental bases for desertification control.
The expedition and meetings helped to “facilitate cooperation between China and Mongolia in the joint construction of ecological security barriers, climate change response, desertification and sandstorm control, and green development”, according to the CAS institute.
The efforts will be led by the CAS institute along with MAS’ Institute of Geography and Geoecology.
The South China Morning Post has contacted the coordinators at both academies for comment.
About 77 per cent of Mongolia’s land is classified as degraded as a result of unsustainable pasture practices, overgrazing and climate change, according to the United Nations.
Meanwhile, rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall across Mongolia have led to widespread droughts and desertification, and this trend is only expected to continue under the influence of climate change.
To tackle this, Mongolia has rolled out more than a dozen environmental protection plans and hundreds of projects over the past decade.
But these have had limited success in halting desertification, according to a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Land in April last year.
The authors from the CAS Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography noted that while desertification in China had decreased between 2000 and 2020, it continued to expand in Mongolia during the same period.
Because of strong, cyclone-driven winds as well as dry sand and soil conditions, Mongolia has dozens of sandstorms every year, with the most severe occurring in the spring and early summer.
These wind patterns can form large, violent sandstorms that affect Mongolia and China and can even reach as far as the Korean peninsula.
In addition to the severe sandstorms across East Asia in 2021, those in 2023 affected 18 Chinese provinces and municipalities as far south as Hunan province.
China itself has long battled desertification and sandstorms in its northern regions.
In the 1970s, it launched the “Three North Shelterbelt Forest Programme” to stabilise parts of the Gobi Desert, including a network of thousands of kilometres of forests and shrubs. China’s “Green Great Wall” has helped to reduce sandstorms in the capital.
In addition, Beijing has launched several megaprojects as part of its wider initiative, including surrounding the country’s largest desert – the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region – with a 3,050km (1,900-mile) sand belt of trees, shrubs, straw grids and solar panels.
Earlier this year, a 1,856km sand control belt spanning three deserts in the westernmost part of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region was completed.
While these efforts have succeeded in holding back the expansion of dunes, they are a massive years-long undertaking.
China has also lent its anti-desertification expertise to the construction of Africa’s own Great Green Wall, which stretches 7,700km across the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.
Closer to home, a number of Chinese institutes have been involved in projects in Mongolia since 2017. This includes a 27-hectare dune stabilisation and vegetation recovery project in the country’s northern Bulgan province, according to state broadcaster CGTN.
Several other projects, including monitoring grassland, desertification control and tree and shrub planting, have been implemented in the years since.
In 2023, the China-Mongolia Desertification Prevention and Control Cooperation Centre was established in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.
CAS said the centre was launched to support the sharing of China’s “established afforestation, grass planting and sand control techniques and models in Mongolia”.
By Victoria Bela
Prior to joining SCMP in 2023, Victoria received her Bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Health and Environmental Studies from the University of Rochester, where she also worked in a Biochemistry lab. She holds a Master's in Public Policy from Peking University.

Mongolia 2025. In the First Half Motorcycles Industry Boomed Up 38.2% www.motorcyclesdata.com

Mongolia Motorcycles Market hits new record sales. The start of 2025 does not show any signs that the momentum is gone and during the first half the 2-wheeler sales have been 25.429 (+38.2%) again one of the best performance word-wide.
Economic Outlook
Mongolia’s economy will remain robust in 2024-25, as a government-led expansion of transport infrastructure boosts mining exports. Soaring export receipts will also maintain a sound balance-of-payment position and access to international capital markets. Mongolia is positioning itself as an emerging provider of critical minerals in an attempt to court investments from Western countries, although this will not meaningfully reduce its dependence on coal exports to China in the near term.
ADB forecasts Mongolia’s economic growth at 5.5% for 2024, up from the 4.1% projected in April. Growth is expected to accelerate to 6.0% in 2025, in line with earlier projections. Continued growth is expected to be driven by expansions in the services and industry sectors, including mining. A recovery in agriculture from the sharp decline experienced in the first quarter of 2024, combined with increased government spending, should also boost economic activity next year.
Motorcycles Industry Trend and Perspectives
In such positive environment, the motorcycles industry is fast growing and our forecast for the next decade is very interesting with a market projected to increase over 5 time from the 2020 level. The two wheeler is the best individual device for low income people and the economic growth is pushing up demand for motorcycle as in no other country in the world.
In 2024 the market continued to fast growing hitting the sixth record in a row and  sales have been 35.009 (65.8%), one of the best performance worldwide.
The start of 2025 does not show any signs that the momentum is gone and during the first half the 2-wheeler sales have been 25.429 (+38.2%) again one of the best performance word-wide.
Most of sales are concentrated within the motorcycle segment, which is growing 42.3% this year. 
All top manufacturers are Chinese, with Dayun market leader and growing 104.9%.
In second place there is Shineray (-7.3%) followed by Haojue (+36.5%), Zongshen, arrived recently but already booming,  and Zhujiang (-36.4%).
The top Japanese manufacturer is Yamaha (+23.8%), while the best European is Gas Gas (-66.2%).
Mongolia Overview
The large central Asian nation of Mongolia is rapidly developing its economy with a to grow from 5.8 percent in 2023 to 6.2 percent in 2024 as the mining sector expands, private consumption recovers, and fiscal expansion stays strong, according to the World Bank.
In the medium term, economic growth is expected to accelerate, averaging above 6 percent in 2025-2026, driven by a substantial increase in mineral production as Oyu Tolgoi’s 2023 mining production is anticipated to more than double by 2025.
Yet, significant downside risks persist. These risks encompass lower mineral exports prompted by slower-than-expected growth in China, as well as uncertainties on coal offtake agreements. Additional risks include inflationary pressures stemming from both further domestic fiscal expansion and heightened geopolitical tension in the Middle East, potentially resulting in higher oil prices.
In the country there are 4 million citizens with a nominal GDP of US$4.947, the half of world’s average and the road infrastructures still need to be developed, while the main private transportation within the only existing metropolitan area, the capital, Ulaanbaatar, where over 1.25 million people live, is based on 2-wheelers.

The MongolZ crowned Esports World Cup Champions www.gogo.mn

World Women Entrepreneurs Forum 2025 Commences www.montsame.mn

The “World Women Entrepreneurs Forum,” organized under the auspices of the President of Mongolia, Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, began on August 25, 2025, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Mongolia’s fourth large event in support of women, held under the theme “Inspire, Impact, Invest,” convened over 230 guests and delegates from 25 countries. The Forum aims to address select common challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, featuring seminars and training sessions designed to enhance gender-based economic and business policies, human resources, investment, and competitive capacity in the business market. The event aims to explore new gateways to support gender-based economies at the policy level, strengthen cooperation, cross-border partnerships, and investment opportunities.
Moreover, a business fair called “Innovation Showcase and Marketplace,” aimed at promoting products and services by women entrepreneurs to the foreign market and attracting investment, will take place from August 24 to 25, 2025, at Sukhbaatar Square. Over 140 small and medium-sized enterprises will present their products and services provided in the cashmere and wool, handicraft, information technology, and tourism sectors. The B2B meetings will enable entrepreneurs to engage in discussions about communication and financing, while introducing their respective projects.
The Forum will hold six sub-sessions on the following topics:
1. “Fostering Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership”
2. “Financing Her Dreams: Unlocking Capital for Women Entrepreneurs”
3. “Digital Transformation and Innovation in Women’s Businesses”
4. “Building Green and Inclusive Economies: The Role of Women-led Enterprises”
5. “Bridging Borders: A Mongolia-Asian Women in Business Dialogue”
6. “Women Exporters in the Digital Economy Fund”

'I defied death after a fall – now I’m riding 1,000km across Mongolia for charity' says Kempston teen www.msn.com

Just three years ago, Imogen, from Box End Kempston, suffered a life-threatening fall that nearly ended both her life and riding career. But after making a full recovery, Imogen has come back more determined than ever to chase the dream of a lifetime.
Imogen, who is 19, suffered a freak accident while riding in 2022 when her horse flipped over a fence and landed on top of her. She was air-lifted to hospital in Cambridge where she was resuscitated. Doctors then found she'd broken six ribs, fractured parts of her spine and pelvis, punctured her lungs and damaged a retina, which has left her blind in one eye.
Imogen, a former pupil of Bedford Modern School, said: “I was just very lucky. Amazingly, I wasn't paralysed even though I’d broken every bone in my body and, despite the extensive injuries and against medical advice, I just wanted to get back on a horse. My recovery and rehabilitation took around six to eight weeks, it was a huge ordeal but I managed to bounce back and was back riding six weeks later.”
Though horse-riding has always been her passion, the accident has meant Imogen has re-evaluated her life's ambitions and decided not to pursue horse-riding professionally.
Instead, she trains and still rides horses competitively and has now been given the chance of a lifetime to compete in the 2026 Mongol Derby, the world’s longest and toughest horse race. Spanning 1,000 km across the wild Mongolian steppe on semi-wild horses, it’s a test of grit, courage, and horsemanship like no other.
Imogen says being selected for the Derby is a dream come true, but she can’t secure her place without raising the first instalment of the entry fee, which is nearly £14,000.
To help, she has set up a GoFundMe page and has so far raised £280 towards a target of £3.5k. She is also looking for sponsors.
Added Imogen: “That experience changed everything for me. It taught me that life is fragile and you have to grab opportunities when you can. The Mongol Derby isn’t just another competition, it’s the ultimate test of courage and resilience, and the perfect way to honour the second chance I was given. I don’t want to let this once-in-a-lifetime adventure slip away because of financial barriers.
“Throughout my Derby journey, I also want to raise awareness on the realities of living with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Horses have often been my coping mechanism, something I could understand even when everything else seemed to make no sense.
"ASD shapes the way I connect with them, and while some may view it as a weakness, I see it as my superpower, giving me the ability to focus, face fear with determination, solve problems creatively, and never give up, even in the toughest situations.
“By supporting me, you won’t just be helping me and my dream to get to the start line of the world's toughest horse race - you’ll be part of a story about resilience, second chances, and embracing what makes us different.”
Imogen is also working to help raise funds and will be off to University in York to study philosophy.
“I’ll still be running my wedding events business while at uni and training, so it will be full on. But I am determined to keep competing and taking on new challenges.”
by Olga Norford

Counter-Strike 2 at 2025 Esports World Cup Champions: Mongolian Pride www.esportsworldcup.com

After more than 1,000 matches across 24 titles, the 2025 Esports World Cup concluded with the CS2 at EWC 25 finals. In the final match, The Mongolz defeated Aurora Gaming, making them the last team to add their key to the Champions Totem. Congratulations to The Mongolz on their first-place finish at EWC 25!
No room for mistakes
CS2 at EWC 25 was a cutthroat, single-elimination tournament that gave Counter-Strike 2 squads no room for error. One loss meant your tournament was over. The pressure wouldn't phase The Mongolz.
Coming into the tournament as the 4th seed, The Mongolz began their championship run with a convincing 2-0 win over Gamer Legion. Their first struggle came in the quarterfinals versus 3DMAX, where they dropped the second game. But after taking the following third game 13-8 on Nuke, they managed to keep their title run alive.
Team Vitality – the highest ranked team in the world who had been flawless during CS2 at EWC 25 so far – was waiting for them in the semifinal. After an action-packed three-game series, the Mongolians managed to overcome the French favorites, booking their ticket to the finals.
A one-sided final affair
Thousands of supporters gathered in Mongolia to watch their compatriots fight for their country’s pride in the CS2 final at EWC 25. Motivation levels were at an all-time high for Ayush "mzinho" Batbold and his teammates.
The other side of the bracket featured a surprise – Aurora Gaming – leading many to believe The Mongolz were the favorites to win the entire competition. The Mongolian squad had faltered under pressure before, and it seemed like history could repeat itself as the first map came down to the wire.
Eventually, the favorites managed to take the opening map, winning 16-14 after an exciting overtime sequence. The second game, while not as close, went 13-9 in The Mongolz’s favor. The last map wasn’t close at all, as they closed it out in convincing fashion, 13-4.
SONY MVP
As the absolute stand-out performer, the SONY MVP Award could realistically only go to one player: Sodbayar “Techno4K” Munkhbold. By winning the prize for most valuable player, Techno4K secured a personal trophy and an additional $10,000 in prize money.
Club Championship
The MongolZ become the 21st unique club to take an EWC 25 title win after their CS2 at EWC 25 victory.
While Team Falcons surely wanted to end EWC 25 on a positive note after already securing the Club Championship win earlier in the week, Vitality was the team with a lot still on the line heading into the third-place decider. A win would secure the French organization an additional $1,000,000, as it would allow them to overtake Team Liquid and claim second place in the final standings.
The French squad seemed poised to secure their organization that extra prize money, taking the first game on Inferno 13-8. On the following maps, Train and Nuke, Falcons showed what they were capable of one more time. Taking both games 13-3, they left no doubt about who was the third-strongest team at EWC 25.

Indonesia Pushes Stronger Diplomacy with Mongolia and Singapore, Reaffirms Support for Palestine www.metrotvnews.com

Ulaanbaatar: In an effort to reinforce Indonesia’s diplomatic posture, Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha C. Nasir held two bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 10th Forum for East Asia and Latin America Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (10th FEALAC FMM) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Friday, August 22.
The first meeting took place with Mongolia’s Foreign Minister, H.E. Battsetseg Batmunkh.
According to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s official statement released on Saturday, August 23, Deputy Minister Arrmanatha, popularly known as Tata, expressed appreciation for Mongolia’s success in hosting FEALAC and underscored the importance of enhancing Indonesia–Mongolia strategic relations.
The two sides discussed strengthening their partnership through the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultation, signed in Jakarta on May 21, 2025, as well as the possibility of reciprocal state visits in 2026 to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Other agenda items included fostering people-to-people connections and expanding cooperation in multilateral forums.
The second meeting was held with Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs, H.E. Sim Ann. Deputy Minister Tata highlighted the close ties between Indonesia and Singapore, as reflected in the intensity of high-level exchanges, including President Prabowo Subianto’s attendance at Singapore’s National Day Parade earlier this month.
On multilateral issues, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting each other in international forums. Singapore also conveyed its appreciation for Indonesia’s humanitarian assistance initiative for Gaza and Jakarta’s diplomatic efforts that have led to more countries recognizing Palestine.
In response, Deputy Minister Tata reiterated Indonesia’s dedication to supporting the Palestinian people.
“Indonesia will continue to push forward negotiations toward a two-state solution, while consistently respecting the aspirations and consent of the Palestinian people,” he concluded.
Also read:  Singapore PM Hails Indonesia’s Progress on 80th Independence Anniversary
By Willy Haryono

Beijing: SCO prepared to expand membership www.themalaysianreserve.com

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) remains prepared to expand its membership to countries that share its vision, said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
“The SCO will uphold the principle of openness and inclusiveness and keep its doors open to all countries who identify with the Shanghai spirit,” she told reporters at her regular press conference on Friday.
Mao Ning said this when responding to a question if the attendance of SCO non-dialogue partners countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia, indicates that SCO is considering admission of new member states.
The text of her press conference was published on the ministry’s website.
On Friday, Bernama reported China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin as saying that Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will join more than 20 world leaders at the upcoming SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin, China, from Aug 31 to Sept 1.
An official from the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing said Malaysia will be involved in the SCO Plus Meeting during the summit.
SCO was established in 2001 in Shanghai by six founding nations – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The member countries have now expanded to 10 after Pakistan, India, Iran and Belarus joined the organisation, while Mongolia and Afghanistan have been granted observer status.
Among the 13 SCO dialogue partners are Sri Lanka, Turkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Maldives