Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spent his middle childhood years in the Mongolian mining town of Erdenet, as the son of a Soviet specialist with corresponding privileges. At the time Mongolia’s dependence on the Soviet Union was the inspiration of numerous jokes and the giant Erdenet copper mine was being developed to supplement the Communist bloc’s copper supplies after the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat.

Today, as Zelenskyy is leading his nation in the fight against a renewed Russian aggression, Mongolia’s political class is sleepwalking into a pipeline deal that will increase its dependence on (and thus vulnerability to pressure from) Moscow, while exposing its Tibetan Buddhist community to Beijing’s intervention.

The idea of a trans-Mongolian gas pipeline is not new and was revived by Mongolia at the 2018 Eastern Economic Forum. In 2019, with tacit approval from Beijing, Gazprom and Mongolia’s state-owned Erdenes Mongol started a feasibility study on the Power of Siberia 2’s Mongolia leg, the Soyuz-Vostok pipeline.

Early this year, Mongolian authorities and Gazprom approved the Soyuz-Vostok feasibility study, notwithstanding the fact that the Power of Siberia 2’s overall feasibility study is still ongoing. A few days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Erdenes Mongol and Gazprom speedily signed an agreement for the engineering and design work of the pipeline, with the aim of starting construction in 2024. With a capacity comparable to that of the suspended Nord Stream 2 project, the Soyuz-Vostok is well-positioned to bring gas from Russia’s Yamal peninsula, which was originally destined for European markets, to China.

Despite having no expertise in developing natural gas pipelines, Ulaanbaatar up to now has not engaged any third-party advisers to evaluate the technical and financial aspects of the Soyuz-Vostok project. Neither Mongolia’s political leadership nor Gazprom seem to be interested in involving a third party, which could have potentially increased transparency, provided additional capital, and allowed for greater scrutiny of the financial, engineering, and environmental aspects of the pipeline.

As a result, Gazprom appears to have locked Erdenes Mongol into a predetermined set of technical and financial parameters, which will allow the Russia company to shift an unwarranted amount of the total project cost onto the Soyuz-Vostok section while leaving itself, or the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, the lion’s share of the net profits.

Without a proper evaluation of the project and third-party involvement, Mongolia is likely to take on a sizable loan from Russia, possibly on predatory terms, to finance its portion of the costs, while agreeing to pay it off from the gas transit fees. In this scenario, ironically similar to Soviet-era development of the Erdenet copper mine, Mongolia would be bearing heavy, possibly unjustified cost burdens, likely making just enough for the project to break even while not being able to secure long-term benefits such as scalable discounted gas supplies. Accordingly, negotiating on the transit fees, gas prices, and project funding in an information asymmetry will be detrimental to Ulaanbaatar’s interests.

From the way Soyuz-Vostok has been depoliticized and locked out of any public scrutiny, it is clear that Russia has successfully coopted Mongolia’s kleptocratic political class. Only recently, on the back of the war in Ukraine, have certain corners of the public started to question the morality of hosting a new Russian pipeline. However, no meaningful debate on the economic, geopolitical, and social impacts have taken place; apparently none of Mongolia’s political parties want to oppose the project.

Such depoliticization and co-optation of the Mongolian political elite would have been impossible without Russia’s recent soft power push into Mongolia. Starting from the mid-2010s Russia has increased Russian language and culture promotion activities, provided direct military assistance in the form of fighter jets and reconnaissance drones, and revived Soviet-era war memorials in Mongolia.

Furthermore, Moscow has exported the May 9 Victory Day celebrations to Mongolia in a format indistinguishable from Russia’s. Russia has also integrated uniquely Mongolian experiences – the 1939 Khalkhyn Gol battle commemoration and Mongolia’s World War II assistance – into its new memorials, such as at the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces. Meanwhile, Moscow-friendly politicians in Ulaanbaatar have been systematically promoting an illiberal value system driven by the rise of neo-Eurasianism, with far-right and anti-LGBT motives. Not surprisingly Mongolia’s ruling party, which controls all branches of the government, was among the two dozen international parties that expressed support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Moreover, there is little reason to believe that Mongolia will be able to shield itself from the geopolitical and geo-technical risks of the Soyuz-Vostok pipeline. A politically motivated suspension of gas transmission from Russia could delay cash flows, devalue Ulaanbaatar’s investment, and further indebt the country. In this context, it is suspicious that Russia continues to block Mongolia’s attempts to build indigenous hydropower generation capacity, which could provide an alternative to Russian energy.

Political risks in this case also come from the country at the other end of the pipeline, China, which has a habit of closing borders and applying diplomatic pressure on Mongolia every time the Dalai Lama visits at the invitation of Mongolian Buddhists.

Russia, constrained by sanctions and oil and gas embargoes, will be even keener to increase its exports to China by making use of a co-opted regime in Ulaanbaatar. This gives China not only the leverage to negotiate for cheaper gas prices, but also a means of imposing its will on Mongolia’s Buddhist community. In particular, Beijing is likely to ask Moscow for help in pressuring Mongolia’s Buddhists into cutting relations with the Dalai Lama and choosing a pro-Beijing Jebtsundamba Khutuktu.

Mongolia’s historic deity Jebtsundamba Khutuktu also happens to be one of the three top-ranking lamas of Tibetan Buddhism, along with the Dalai Lama and the Beijing-controlled Panchen Lama. His ninth reincarnation passed away in 2012. The Jebtsundamba Khutuktu’s reincarnation process, currently guided by the Dalai Lama, will significantly tilt the power balance in the fight for Tibetan Buddhism and has long been a ticking time-bomb for China-Mongolia relations. For Mongolia which has seen numerous border closures and other diplomatic fallout with Beijing over the Dalai Lama’s visits, ceding control over recognition of its religious leader will be interpreted as a highly symbolic loss of sovereignty.

Under the current circumstances, the risks of agreeing to a deal with Gazprom include Mongolia’s increased dependency on both Russia and China, further exposing Ulaanbaatar to political risks and potential pressure on sovereign domestic matters from its neighbors. All this will come with minimal economic gains, given the steep cost of the project and Mongolia’s unwillingness to aggressively negotiate its fair share of the profits.

Mongolia can’t afford to host a Russian gas pipeline given the repercussions to political and religious freedom. Shelving the Soyuz-Vostok pipeline project until better times is the best choice Ulaanbaatar can make given the current geopolitical environment and the state of its weakening democracy.

AUTHORS

GUEST AUTHOR

Munkhnaran Bayarlkhagva is a graduate of Johns Hopkins SAIS with a concentration on Middle East and Eurasian studies. He has served at the National Security Council of Mongolia, researched the Russian oil and gas industry under sanctions for the Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum, and provided project finance advice on large-scale infrastructure projects in Mongolia.

May 11 (Reuters) - China is suspending imports of goats, sheep and related products from Mongolia due to the detection of a viral disease, according to a government statement published on Wednesday.

The ban took effect from April 29, after the detection of capripoxvirus, a contagious disease that can cause high mortality in livestock.

(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Tom Hogue)

ERDENEBULGAN, ARKHANGAI PROVINCE, MONGOLIA — The air smells foul. But the real danger lies below.

Pit latrines, a centuries-old system of human waste management still used by more than two-thirds of Mongolia’s population, collect sewage in deep pits, which can cause environmental contamination, infections, injuries and even deaths. Safer options are increasingly available, thanks to new technologies endorsed by the country’s government agencies, nonprofits and social enterprises. But obstacles ranging from cultural stigma to financial strain continue to prevent Mongolians from making the switch.

With its frozen winters and low population density, Mongolia is one of the most challenging places in the world to access basic sanitation, according to a 2020 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization. Most of Mongolian households lack plumbing, so toilets that require water aren’t feasible.

In 2015, Mongolia’s National Council for Standardization adopted new standards for toilet systems, which stated that they should offer ventilation, odor control, light, and safe sewage disposal. The Government Action Plan for 2020-2024 has budgeted more than 124 billion Mongolian togrogs ($41 million) to upgrade pit latrines in the country’s schools, dormitories and health centers.

The improved latrines, also known as eco-toilets, separate human waste and use ventilation ducts to minimize odor and prevent soil contamination. But the latest eco-toilets cost twice as much to install as digging a pit latrine, and require training and maintenance to keep them in good condition.

Perhaps an even greater challenge, however, has been the cultural stigma against bathroom-related conversations.

Pit latrines are the only toilet option for most residents in Erdenebulgan soum in Mongolia’s central Arkhangai province.

In 2017, a “Let’s Change Our Toilets” campaign sent teams across the country to try to broach the taboo topic through community workshops that reached 20,000 citizens.

“At the beginning of this work, people used to laugh that they couldn’t say the word ‘toilet,’” says Otgonchimeg Radnaajav, CEO of Mini Solutions Cooperative, the social enterprise that organized the campaign. Only now, with Mongolians becoming less squeamish, can public health programs clearly explain the hazards of pit latrines and the benefits of alternative models, she says.

After testing more than 20 outdoor eco-toilets suitable for Mongolia’s conditions, the campaign endorsed a waterless model made by Biolan, a Finnish company, that uses sawdust to absorb and separate waste. It costs about 800,000 togrogs ($261) and has been installed in 750 households since 2020, predominantly in Ulaanbaatar, the capital. Mini Solutions Cooperative offers interest-free loans to make the purchases more affordable.

“The work is just beginning, but we see it as a success,” Otgonchimeg says.

Another organization, WaSH Action of Mongolia, a nonprofit founded in 2015 to promote safe water, sanitation and hygiene, has replaced pit latrines in 350 Ulaanbaatar households, 100 rural homes and 12 schools with improved models that cost between 600,000 and 3 million togrogs ($200-$980). More than half the fees are covered by WaSH Action donors; recipients may contribute their portion by digging the holes and assembling the cabins.

Earlier initiatives had provided and installed the new latrines free of charge, but Shijirtuya Batjargal, a WaSH Action of Mongolia sanitation facilities specialist, says those recipients were less invested in ensuring the success of those projects. “There were issues that they would not treat their latrines with care and would not do relevant maintenance,” she says. “This is a lesson learned from our previous mistakes.”

This model has doors and locks so children won’t fall into the toilet, she says.

Between 2017 and 2021, 38 people fell into pit latrines nationwide, according to the National Emergency Management Agency. Ten died, including six children under the age of 9.

In March 2021, at a hospital in Arkhangai province’s Tariat soum, a woman gave birth while using the pit latrine, and the newborn fell into the 4-meter (13-foot) hole. Khalzan Baatarjargal, a police officer, rescued the infant.

“Though it felt disgusting, and I felt a little squeamish, the baby was crying, stretching out his hands, so I thought it was important to pick him up quickly,” he says.

Mongolia’s children also suffer disproportionately from bacterial diseases traced to pit latrines.

“Families dig wells in their backyards, grow vegetables, and have pit latrines right next to them,” says Suvd Batbaatar, head of the Environmental Health Service of the National Center for Public Health. “The environment is polluted, but children lack the habit of washing their hands.”

Amartuvshin Ragchaabazar shows off her sawdust-filled Biolan toilet, which she says is a big improvement from her pit latrine.

The pits freeze and expand in the country’s harsh winters; in summer, they defrost and overflow, and the soil and water contamination cause seasonal outbreaks of dysentery, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and salmonellosis.

These intestinal infections accounted for more than one-fifth of communicable diseases nationwide in the last decade and caused seven deaths between 2018 and 2020, according to the National Center for Communicable Diseases.

After learning about the myriad dangers of pit latrines at a “Let’s Change Our Toilets” workshop, Amartuvshin Ragchaabazar, of Kharkhorin soum, Uvurkhangai province, applied for a loan and purchased a Biolan model.

“Now, we don’t have to go outside to go to the toilet,” she says. “It’s pleasant, like living in an apartment.”

Delgermaa Ulziibayar, 41, of Erdenebulgan soum in Arkhangai province, shares a pit latrine with her family of seven. They have been saving to buy an eco-toilet, but their household expenses rose during the pandemic, delaying their plans.

“The previous two latrines were full, so we covered them with dirt and built the current latrine two years ago,” she says. “Pit latrines smell a lot in the summer, so we add deodorant, salt, disinfectant and car oil to suppress the odor. But they still stink.”

Odonchimeg Batsukh is a Global Press Journal reporter based in Mongolia.

Between April 29 and May 5, Mongolia has exported a total of 4,039.7 thousand tons of coal by shipping it on 2,891 containers through autoroad, and 499 containers through rail.

During the same week, 492.8 thousand tons of copper concentrate was exported, which is an increase of 23.1 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Since the start of the year, 3,371.9 tons of copper cathode have been exported.

As for iron ore and concentrate, the country has exported a total of 1,056.2 thousand tons by 20 containers through autoroad and 927 containers through rail.

As of May 5, the central bank has also purchased 4,060.8 kg of gold this year.

Taipei, Taiwan – As the Ukraine war upends global commodity markets and triggers a scramble for resources, the crisis is redrawing the Asia-Pacific region’s energy map. While the picture is far from clear, the region’s emerging contours are already having an outsized effect on the resource juggernaut of Australia.

With similar trade profiles, Russia and Australia compete in many key markets, from gas and coal to wheat and barley, ideally positioning Canberra to fill the gap left by a sanctioned Kremlin.

Amid geopolitical uncertainties, many Asian markets have fallen back on the nearby, stable democracy to weather the storm.

Woodside, Australia’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), has reported soaring demand from democratic Asia. While American and Qatari LNG exports were redirected to Europe in March, Australia sent nine additional cargoes to South Korea and Japan and could yet gain more market share from Russia.

Meanwhile, the country’s coal miners have been scrambling to keep up with record demand, which has sent prices soaring. Newcastle coal futures, the commodity’s benchmark for Asia, rocketed to more than $400 per tonne in early March and currently remain about $350. Some producers reported in April that Australian coal sold out due to the rush.

“A lot of energy in Asia has been a-political,” Graeme Bethune, founder of EnergyQuest, an Australian-based energy advisory firm, told Al Jazeera. “But that is changing, as it is around the world. I think there will be more alignment between democracies going forward … and Australia is considered a safe and secure trading partner.”

Woodside

Woodside, Australia’s largest exporter of LNG, has reported soaring demand from democratic Asia [File: David Gray/Reuters]

Longer term, the outlook is less clear. Though Australia is valued as an energy backstop for the region now, the deeper trend for Asian nations is towards energy self-sufficiency, a trend likely to be accelerated by the current crisis.

Geopolitical pressures, combined with a new set of price incentives, could see an acceleration towards renewables, lowering reliance on imports and dampening demand for Australian energy.

“It would be nice to divorce energy from geopolitics, but the reality is you just can’t,” Bruce Robertson, an Australian analyst at energy think-tank IEEFA, told Al Jazeera.

“Ukraine has been a wake-up call for literally everyone around the world. Governments are looking at Europe, and Germany in particular, and seeing the new need for energy independence. If you can produce energy at home, you’re far more secure than relying on imports.”

Japan and China, two of the biggest buyers of Australian resources, are both looking to lower imports of its key energy products. A recent study by Australian National University academics warns China’s rising domestic production of coal means a huge cut to Australian imports is imminent, forecasting a 25 percent decrease by 2025.

The forecast follows on the heels of a bitter trade war that saw Australian coal targeted by unofficial sanctions by China. Although Australian coal that had been stranded at Chinese ports resumed passing through customs again late last year, the outlook suggests the commodity’s best days in China are already behind it.

Challenges to Australian exports

”China doesn’t want to rely on Australia for energy, that’s the bottom line,” Robertson said, predicting Beijing’s pivot away from Canberra will extend to LNG as well.

“They’ll likely stay the course with the current projects, but it is highly unlikely they will sign up for new LNG projects going forward.”

“China has not signed new LNG contracts with Australia for several years now,” Bethune added, noting more contracts had gone to US companies, while stressing he could not be sure how big a role politics had played.

Bethune said China still needs Australian coking coal for steelmaking and that will likely stay the case for the time being, despite an overall trend of diversifying away from Australian imports.

Japan is the world’s largest LNG importer and enjoys a longstanding trade partnership with Australia. Hit by shockwaves from Russia in recent weeks, increased shipments from Australia – already its largest supplier at more than 36 percent of total imports – helped Japan weather the storm. Yet Tokyo, which on Sunday announced it would phase out Russian oil in tandem with its Group of Seven partners, has set its sights on greater self-sufficiency, too.

“Japan aims to halve its LNG imports by 2030,” Robertson said. “Japan is the largest market for Australian LNG and represents around a third of our total exports. If Tokyo reaches its target, it would be a serious knock to Australian gas.”

While Australian LNG suppliers are looking to pivot to emerging South Asia, those markets present new obstacles.

Pakistan has experienced an LNG shortage marked by rolling blackouts and is now in contract disputes over defaulted projects with multinationals Gunvor and ENI. Bangladesh, meanwhile, has run out of credit to buy LNG at soaring spot market prices.

“I think they’ve been scared by the volatility and lack of availability [of gas],” Robertson said.

“Will they continue to double down on gas after this? I think it would be a rather foolish move.”

Solar panels in China

The once optimistic outlook for natural gas overall is increasingly in doubt as renewables become more economically attractive [File: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg]

The once optimistic outlook for natural gas overall is increasingly in doubt as rising costs of LNG and market volatility have made renewables a lot more attractive.

“For price-sensitive countries, the current environment and volatility is certainly a cause of concern,” Kaushal Ramesh, a Singapore-based researcher at Rystad Energy, told Al Jazeera. “There is a risk countries will be unable to afford LNG for the next five years as Europe absorbs global supply.”

Ramesh said many countries will face the choice of either continuing to rely on coal and fuel oil or making the jump to renewables.

“Ultimately, one of the greatest means of ensuring energy security is to break the link with commodity imports altogether – from both this perspective and a marginal price perspective, renewables provide that pathway,” he said.

Despite Australia’s reliance on resources, there is still a bullish case to be made for its energy as the renewable era dawns.

Australia has the highest solar radiation per square metre of any continent on Earth, receiving roughly 58 million petajoules of sunshine each year – equivalent to 10,000 times its total energy consumption.

Efforts to leverage that power are under way. The Australia-Asia PowerLink project, expected to be completed later in the decade, will help power Singapore and Indonesia with the largest solar farm in the world in northern Australia.

“There’s also a growing focus on hydrogen,” Bethune said. “Australia also produces critical minerals needed for renewables.”

Ramesh said Australia is in a strong position to be a regional renewable energy powerhouse when it comes time to break the commodity link.

“We understand there are ongoing discussions about renewable power exports and the development of green hydrogen and green ammonia hubs,” he said.

One such plant for these new green fuels was granted “coordinated project status” by the Queensland state government just last month.

“These projects are still in their early stages, but they have attracted attention from Australia’s current fossil fuel customers in North Asia,” Ramesh said.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

The value of Bitcoin continued to fall over the weekend as it dropped below $34,000 (£27,630), according to the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange.

The world's largest cryptocurrency by market value has now fallen by 50% since its peak in November last year.

The slide in the value of digital assets comes as stock markets around the world also dropped in recent days.

On Monday, some Asian markets headed lower again with Japan's benchmark Nikkei index down by around 2.5%.

Bitcoin accounts for about a third of the cryptocurrency market with a total value of close to $640bn.

Ethereum, the second biggest cryptocurrency in the world, has also fallen in value, down by more than 10% in the last week.

Although much of 2022 had been relatively quiet for the cryptocurrency market, volatile trading in digital assets has not been that unusual in previous years.

Trading was dominated for years by individual investors, but more recently the market has seen an influx of professional investors, such as hedge funds and money managers.

With more traditional investors trading digital assets, cryptocurrencies have increasingly followed the movements of global stock markets.

Many of the institutional investors that buy cryptocurrencies treat them as risk assets, similar to technology stocks.

In times of market uncertainty traditional investors will often sell what they see as riskier assets and move their money into safer investments.

Last week, central banks around the world, including the US, UK and Australia, raised interest rates as they attempt to tackle rising prices.

The US Federal Reserve raised its key lending rate by half a percentage point, marking its biggest rate hike in more than 20 years.

That has triggered more concerns among some investors that inflation and the higher cost of borrowing could have a major impact on global economic growth.

Investors are also worried about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the world economy.

Meanwhile, in the last year Bitcoin has become legal tender in two countries - El Salvador and the Central African Republic.

Since El Salvador said it would allow consumers to use the cryptocurrency in all transactions, alongside the US dollar, the International Monetary Fund has urged it to reverse its decision.

Teddy Riner, who has won three Olympic gold medals (two individual, one team) and two bronze medals, ten gold and one silver medal at World Championships, and five gold medals at European Championships, is conducting joint training along with his national judo team members for the third time in Mongolia.

During one of the training sessions held at the Mongolian Judo Association’s national team hall, the French judo athlete gave an interview.

-What is the purpose of the joint training being conducted in Mongolia?

-I am very well received by the Mongolian athletes and people. I also like the training environment that is used for the joint training. As Mongolian athletes conduct their training intensively, I am visiting Mongolia for the third time to take part in it.

-Is there anything specific that you want to learn from Mongolian wrestlers during the training?

-Mongolian judo athletes have a great fighting spirit. It is for this exact reason that I came to Mongolia – to bring my fighting spirit to its former state.

-Who would you say is your current strongest opponent in the weight class?

-From my experience, all the athletes in my weight class have been the best wrestlers in their respective country. So I have to use all my strength when facing against all of them.

-What is the secret of your many years of success?

-I don’t have any secrets for it. I believe that it is possible to achieve success as long as you are able to think quickly.

-Are you confident that you will become the champion of the Paris Olympics?

-Yes, I am confident about it. If I did not have the confidence, my team would have already taken a break.

-Prior to the Paris Olympics, there will be two World Championships as well as a series of tournaments organized by the International Judo Federation (IJF). In which ones do you plan to participate?

-Currently, I am planning to test my strength at a World Championship and a European Championship tournament.

-Some say that the Paris Olympics may be the last Olympic Games you will compete in. Do you have anything in mind for what you want to do afterwards?

-Yes, it will be the last Olympic Games that I will compete in. After the event, I will spend as much time with my family as I have so far in order to reach the point where I am currently. I have also launched my own business that I will continue to work on after my judo career. It is a judogi (judo uniform) brand called ‘Fightart’, officially certified by the IJF.

-Do you have children? If so, do they also train judo?

-Yes, I have a son and a daughter. Both of them have already started to train judo.

Chairman of the Mongolia-ROK Parliamentary Group MP J.Munkhbat and MP G.Munkhtsetseg held a meeting with Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea Kim Young Joo on May 5.

During the meeting, Assemblywoman Kim Young Joo shared her country's experience in implementing major infrastructure projects and programs in harsh climate conditions and expressed readiness to cooperate in the fields of transportation, logistics, and construction.

In turn, MP J.Munkhbat expressed satisfaction with the current development of bilateral relations in all social and economic spheres and the strengthening of the people-to-people relations, while voicing willingness to cooperate in establishing satellite city as well as introducing South Korea’s experience and advanced technology.

For her part, MP G.Munkhtsetseg expressed interest in learning from the ROK’s experience in the field of environment and ecology, especially in solving groundwater problems and using new technologies in gardening.

We took an interview from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to Mongolia Dr. Borbala Anna Obrusanszky regarding Mongolia-Hungary relations and cooperation.

-How did you initially feel when you were appointed as the Ambassador to Mongolia?

-First of all, I am very happy to be representing my home country in Mongolia. My prior knowledge of the Mongolian language, history, and culture is helping me a lot in carrying out my duties as an ambassador.

-Hungarians and Mongolians are considered to be of the same origins. Quite a few words in Magyar, Mongolian, and Turkic languages are said to be similar. Could you tell us more about this?

-There are numerous chronicles about the reign of Hungarian kings during the Middle Ages, which tell about Hungarians being descended from the Hunnu people (Huns). Furthermore, one can come across certain information related to this from the people’s traditions. Results of historic and archeological studies and research have also proven how some groups of Huns that arrived in Europe from Mongolia once lived in the territory of modern Hungary.

Today, there are about 2,000 words that are similar in the lan­guages of Hungarian and Mongolian. One of Hungary’s well-known researchers, Bálint Gábor of Szentkatolna, had referred to it as the linguistic heritage of the Hunnu people.

In recent years, researchers of Hungary and the UK carried out a study on genetic links. However, it continues to be necessary for the ethnographic field to study many other similarities.

-Mongolia-Hungary rela­tions go back very early in history. What kind of artifacts are currently being kept in relation to the history of Mongolia?

-Hungarian travelers and clerics visited the territory where the Mongols resided during the Middle Ages. There are records of Mongols arriving in the European region in 1236. When Dominican friar Julianus went on a journey to meet with Magyars (Hungarians) that were left behind in Eastern Europe. During this journey, he reached the Volga River where he learned about a new empire called the Mongol Empire. In 1237, he wrote a full report titled ‘Epistola de vita Tartarorum’ about the empire’s people, and sent it to the Roman Pope. The report has recently been translated into Mongolian, and published in a scientific journal in Mongolia. It includes the letter sent by Batu Khan to King Béla of Hungary.

Bálint Gábor thoroughly stu­died the Mongolian language in 1870-1874, and later became one of the first Mongolists to visit Kalmykia and modern-day Ulaanbaatar. In 1877, Hungarian Count Béla Széchenyi organized a scientific expedition in Inner Mongolia and Northern China, while Count Jenő Zichy also organized an expedition which involved working in the territory of modern-day Ulaanbaatar over the course of a week. Collections in Hungary currently keep the documents and photographs from the journeys, awaiting to be further studied.

-The Mongol studies scene in Hungary is one of the largest research centers not only in Europe but also in the world. How has been the development of the Mongol studies field in Hungary recently?

-There are several institutions and organizations conducting studies about Mongolia in Hungary. Mongolian language courses are offered at three universities at the moment. The Institute of Mongolian Studies in Budapest mainly carries out studies and research on Buddhism and linguistics, while the Research Center for The Humanities at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences is studying artifacts tracing back to the Khitan Empire. Recently, an exhibition introducing Mongolian art and culture was also opened at the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts in Budapest city.

In 2021, the Hungarian Research Institute and the Mon­golian Academy of Sciences renewed their cooperation, launching a joint archeological research project–which has become a new element in the field and a promising research work. The joint research project will continue to be implemented this year.

-In recent years, the two countries are actively working to expand bilateral relations and cooperation. What other new opportunities do you see for the development of coo­peration in the field?

-Regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic, we actively worked to expand the Hungary-Mongolia cooperation in all sectors, reaching a certain result. In the field of culture and science, our Embassy has restored its traditional cooperation with Mongolian cultural and scientific organizations and established effective relations.

Scientific academies of the two countries have been cooperating for a long time, but joint research projects were relatively limited. In the spring of 2021, we renewed the agreements established between the Archaeological Institutes. With aims to support bilateral scientific cooperation, a meeting was organized for authorities of the scientific institutes that implemented joint projects with Hungary in November 2021 as part of the Hungarian Science Festival. The two sides are willing to implement joint projects and programs, and we saw the need for cooperation between the institutes. In this time where bilateral scientific relations are expanding, I am confident that Mongolian doctoral students who are studying in Hungary will play a decisive role.

-Since the beginning of this year, the two sides signed several major documents, including a Memorandum of Understanding on jointly creating film, film studios and training...

-Cooperation in the film industry is one of the main cultural cooperation fields of our two countries. Within this frame, we aim to implement some projects. It is possible to make international feature and documentary films showing the shared history between the Hungarian and Mongolian peoples. Also, we are ready to share our experience in film arts.

The first Hungarian-Mongolian-British film, co-produced by the three countries, is expected to be screened later next year.

-Scholarships of the Hungarian Government for Mongolian students play an important role in strengthening mutual understanding. The President of Mongolia emphasized the importance of continuing this program?

-Since 2016, the Government of Hungary has been providing scholarships to 200 Mongolian students each year. The ‘Stipendium Hungaricum’ program is becoming very popular among students, with over 900 students applying this year. Moreover, our Embassy is working to create opportunities for Hungarian and Mongolian students and researchers to have mutual learning and training as part of the cooperation between universities.

-What cultural programs are being planned in the near future?

-We will be organizing the ‘Cultural Days of Hungary’ in Ulaanbaatar on May 13-14. During the event, Hungarian folk song, music and dance perfor­mances will be presented. There is also a great opportunity for us to show the Hungarian Oscar-winning film in cinemas and cook traditional food. We get a lot of help from Hungarian alumni in Mongolia and I would like to use this opportunity to express gratitude to them.

-What do you think are the opportunities for developing economic relations and cooperation between Mongolia and Hungary?

-When the Hungarian Embassy in Mongolia closed in 2006, many valuable business relations were severed–so that relationship needed to be rekindled. Since my appointment as Ambassador, the volume of exports from Hungary to Mongolia has increased significantly as a result of the efforts of our team.

Last year, the figure was at 58 percent. I am confident that bilateral cooperation will continue to expand. Recently, we have been building relations between companies on trading wool, cashmere, and raw materials that are of interest to Hungary.

-What is the current progress on launching regular direct flights between the two countries?

-Air transport negotiations between the two countries are underway. After that, it is up to the airlines to decide whether to operate flights. With nearly 2,000 students and thousands of Mongolian people living in Hungary, I believe it may be worth considering the new route.

-Are there any high-level visits planned in the near future?

-As Mongolia always occupies an important position in Hun­gary’s foreign relations, the relations will be further strengthened. The Hungarian side hopes to continue holding high-level and sectoral meetings as well as regular meetings of government commis­sions.

The two countries work together in many fields. We hope that economic cooperation, such as in food and agriculture, water management, light industry, and pharmaceuticals, will play an even more important role in the future. However, we also want to further develop our cooperation in other fields, such as culture, science, and higher education, based on promising fields such as cinematography and archeology.

-I am confident that your first impressions of Mongolia and the Mongolian people will be interesting for our readers.

-Since I traveled to Mongolia in 1993, I have been connected with the country for almost 30 years now. As far as I know, Mongolians are very hospitable people, we have a lot in common, and maybe that's why I got used to life in Mongolia very easily. Like our Hungarians, the people are able to quickly learn, and adapt to new technologies. I love traveling to the countryside to explore Mongolia's unique natural formations and cultural treasures. I also recently wrote and published a handbook for Hungarians called ‘Mongolian Tourism’.

It is always great to look back on my university years. Mongolian and English students and teachers back then were very helpful and I was able to easily overcome the difficulties related to my studies. Thanks to these fond memories, I always see Mongolia in a positive light.

But there are also problems for foreigners coming here to work. Harsh weather is one of the difficult challenges people face. It is also difficult for foreigners to get used to fatty meat and foods, but fortunately, Mongolian food has changed for the better in the last decade. The only thing that is hindering our work now is traffic congestion. As congestion "steals" many hours of a person's life, I personally want the issue to be addressed in the near future.

The interview was published in the Mongol Messenger weekly newspaper on May 6

For more than a month, Sandeep Mall's engineering goods factory next to the Indian capital, Delhi, has been facing crippling power cuts, sometimes up to 14 hours a day.

The 50-odd machines in the factory located in a major manufacturing hub in Faridabad make products for aeronautics, automobile, mining and construction industries.

"Every time the power goes off, the machines stop, the semi-finished products get rejected and we have to start all over again," Mr Mall says.

That happens when he fires up diesel-powered generators to keep the factory running. He says it is three times as expensive to run it on diesel than what he pays to the local power transmission authority.

"This erodes my competitiveness, cuts into my profits. It's a complete mess, and is very frustrating," Mr Mall says.

"These are the worst power cuts I have faced in over a decade."

Beginning in April, power cuts and outages have rippled across India, slowing factories, closing schools, and sparking demonstrations. Two in three households said they were facing power outages, according to more than 21,000 people in 322 districts surveyed by LocalCircles, a polling agency. One in three households reported outages of two hours or more each day.

At least nine states, including Haryana, where Mr Mall's factory is located, are suffering from prolonged outages. The main reason why electricity is in such short supply is a shortage of coal.

India is the world's second-largest producer and consumer of coal. The fossil fuel keeps the country's lights on: three-quarters of the electricity produced uses coal. India sits atop the world's third-highest reserves of coal and boasts of the world's largest coal mining company but per person consumption is still modest.

Why India can't live without coal

India imports a little under a quarter of its consumption: much of it is coking coal which is used in blast furnaces for making steel and is not available domestically. Yet there are perpetual shortages.

Last October, India teetered on the brink of a power crisis when stocks at more than half of the country's 135 coal-fired plants ran critically low, or below 25% of normal levels. Now coal stocks are said to be critically low in 108 of its 173 power plants. The war in Ukraine means global prices of coal and natural gas have soared, making imports unaffordable.

"This crisis is worse than what it was last year as the demand is actually high. A perfect storm has built up now, and there are many reasons to blame," says Rahul Tongia, a senior fellow with the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), a Delhi-based think tank.

Average temperatures in northern and central India have been the highest in more than 120 years

An earlier-than-expected searing heatwave - average temperatures in April in northern and central India were the highest in more than 120 years - has pushed demand for electricity to record levels. This came on top of an uptick in demand following the reopening of the economy after two years of pandemic lockdowns.

Also, India's railways were again carrying more passenger traffic on shared tracks with freight, leading to fewer wagons hauling coal across the country.

India says coal will be mainstay in leaked report

"It is not that India is running out of coal in an absolute sense. We are essentially facing a stockpile problem, and it is not new. We have a system designed around managing scarcity and linkages. It's not designed for efficiency, nor for proper risk allocation," says Mr Tongia.

Demand for electricity is seasonal, and building a stockpile costs more money and is time-consuming, experts say. India has traditionally reinforced supplies by importing coal. "One cannot easily fix under stock-piling over months with over-supply," says Mr Tongia.

The government says it is doing all it can do to ensure supplies. Coal India, the world's largest coal miner, has increased production by 12%, "strengthening India's energy security", according to the federal coal ministry. It also despatched 49.7 million metric tonnes of coal to the power generating companies in April, a 15% rise over the same month last year. The railways have cancelled more than a thousand passenger trains to transport more coal to fuel-starved plants.

Coal generates ample revenues for the federal and state governments. But the "dysfunctional" relationship between coal and electricity in India doesn't help matters, according to Daljit Singh, an energy expert at CSEP. India's power plants procure coal "through multiple channels with a bewildering array of pricing regimes", he says.

The price that a plant pays for the same coal at the same location could vary, depending on whether the plant is owned privately or by the government, the date when it was commissioned and the existence of "power purchase agreements" with a large number of electricity distribution companies, many of which are groaning under debt.

"The approach is tilted in favour of power plants owned by the governments," he says.

Wind and solar now supply 10% of world electricity

The railways, which is India's largest employer, over-charges on ferrying coal - the largest commodity it hauls - to keep passenger fares down. This is just one example, says Mr Tongia, "of numerous distortions that create winners and losers in the coal ecosystem, making change much harder than what it would be based solely on the fundamentals".

India has promised to increase renewable-energy capacity to 450 gigawatts by 2030 to help wean itself off the dependence on coal. "But the rise of renewables hasn't been sufficient to end the growth of coal. India's priority should be to clean up its coal instead of wishing it away, says Mr Tongia. Yet, India's coal is high in ash - about 35% or more - which makes it very polluting. Coal emissions, according to Greenpeace, kill more than 100,000 Indians every year.

Back in Faridabad, Mr Mall says he has never seen a single day of uninterrupted power supply ever since his small factory began operations 27 years ago. But the ongoing blackouts has left him completely exhausted.

"This is no way to do business. After the jobs we generate and taxes we pay, this is what we get?"