A metallurgy-chemical plant complex will be established in Bayan-Undur soum, Orkhon aimag. The operation permit for the industrial and technology park was given to Erdenet Mining Corporation at the cabinet meeting that took place on May 5.

Erdenet Mining Corporation will be establishing a factory for smelting and processing copper concentrate, processing oxidized ore, and manufacturing sulfuric acid and emulsion explosion as well as repairs and mechanical processes with financing of MNT 1.8 trillion.

By putting the industrial park into operation, it will become possible for:

- ‘Erdenetiin Ovoo’ strategic deposit to be fully utilized and put into economic circulation,

- the competitive factory to be developed as a cluster based on advanced technology,

- final products to be manufactured and supplied to the market,

- the conditions to be created for other corresponding factories to be established at the same location,

- Erdenet city to develop independently,

- state and local budget income to increase,

- about 1,000 job opportunities to be created locally as starters.

940 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded nationwide in the past 24 hours.

932 of the new cases are community-acquired cases, of which 828 were detected in Ulaanbaatar city and 104 in rural areas. The remaining 8 are hospital-acquired cases.

42,464 COVID-19 cases have so far been recorded in the country. In the past 24 hours, 1,308 people have been discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recoveries to 27,242. 4,878 people are currently receiving treatment for COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health also reported that 12 people died from COVID-19 on May 5, taking the COVID-19 death toll to 142.

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressing their concern about recent political developments in Mongolia.

“Recent controversial actions taken by the parliament, the judiciary, and the president – including the hasty passage of an amendment to the Presidential Election Law that barred the incumbent from seeking reelection, the removal of a Constitutional Court judge seen as likely to challenge the constitutionality of the parliament’s action, and the president’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court to disband the ruling party – have sparked a political crisis that could undermine the credibility of the presidential election on June 9,” the senators wrote. “We further encourage you to work with USAID and consider funding a short-term international election observation team to document any attempts to deny the Mongolian people the ability to have their voices heard through the ballot box.”

“Democracy promotion must remain a core element of our foreign policy, particularly as authoritarian forces such as the Chinese Communist Party are working tirelessly to erode these values around the world,” the senators concluded.

Rubio is a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Leahy is Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate.

The full text of the letter is below.

Dear Secretary Blinken:

We write today to express our concern about Mongolia and what recent political developments may portend for the future of democracy in the country. As you know, Mongolia has been a remarkable democratic success story, particularly considering how it is precariously situated between two authoritarian neighbors, the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, the former of which has expressed expansionist designs toward Mongolia in the past and may still harbor them.

The United States has an abiding interest in ensuring that democracy in Mongolia continues to flourish. Recent controversial actions taken by the parliament, the judiciary, and the president – including the hasty passage of an amendment to the Presidential Election Law that barred the incumbent from seeking reelection, the removal of a Constitutional Court judge seen as likely to challenge the constitutionality of the parliament’s action, and the president’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court to disband the ruling party – have sparked a political crisis that could undermine the credibility of the presidential election on June 9.

In light of these developments, we respectfully urge the State Department to engage in dialogue with all political parties involved with the aim of deescalating the growing tensions between them, ensuring that no one is arbitrarily denied the standing to run for election and each political party has the right to nominate the candidate of their choice to appear on the presidential ballot, and encouraging the maintenance of an impartial judiciary. We further encourage you to work with USAID and consider funding a short-term international election observation team to document any attempts to deny the Mongolian people the ability to have their voices heard through the ballot box. Last minute changes to election laws risk undermining public confidence in the government and could give rise to instability.

In addition, we are concerned that this chain of events could make Mongolia increasingly vulnerable to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to undermine Mongolia’s democracy, rule of law, and its judicial system through corruption of and collusion with certain Mongolian leaders. In November 2016, following a visit by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the PRC punished Mongolia with economic sanctions. Tsend Munkh-Orgil, a politician serving as foreign minister, publicly supported Beijing’s demand that Ulaanbaatar prohibit the Dalai Lama from ever visiting the country again. This was a shocking statement, as Tibetan Buddhism is Mongolia’s dominant religious tradition, and many Mongolians are devout followers of the Dalai Lama. In December 2017, Dashzeveg Amarbayasgalan, General Secretary of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), told a reporter in Beijing: “We are willing to go the next step to strengthen exchange and cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party and China…in order to work diligently toward building the community of common destiny for all mankind.” The MPP General Secretary reportedly made similar comments on the MPP’s centennial anniversary in March 2021, and several formal exchanges between the CCP and MPP have taken place in recent years involving the General Secretary and other senior MPP officials.

Democracy promotion must remain a core element of our foreign policy, particularly as authoritarian forces such as the CCP are working tirelessly to erode these values around the world. We look forward to working with you to find ways to strengthen U.S.-Mongolia relations and support democracy in Mongolia.

Sincerely,

Authorities will ease restrictions nationwide from 06:00 May 8 amid ongoing COVID-19 activity. Officials will permit most business sectors to resume operations; however, higher-risk businesses, such as retail outlets, cultural and entertainment venues, fitness facilities, bars, and nightclubs, will remain closed until at least May 22. Restaurants cannot offer dine-in services, though some outdoor seating is possible. The government will begin to reopen such businesses in phases for fully vaccinated residents; these individuals can return to fitness centers from May 15 and shopping centers from May 22 using a quick response (QR) code health certificate. Public gatherings remain limited to five people. The government also continues to require all people to wear facemasks in public nationwide.

Local officials will continue to restrict transport to and from provincial capitals. The government also restricts travel from Ulaanbaatar to other areas of Mongolia. Exceptions are in place for essential cargo shipments, healthcare workers, business trips, and charity work. Individuals traveling from other parts of Mongolia must complete a health declaration form before entering Ulaanbaatar. Officials are resuming traffic management using quick-response (QR) codes for private vehicles and taxis; authorization is only possible for people required to work onsite and other exceptions. Residents of the capital must present a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within the previous 72 hours to leave the city; officials will also permit interprovincial travel for fully vaccinated residents. Public transport will return to regularly scheduled services 07:00-23:00 daily.

Authorities will likely continue highly localized lockdowns in residential buildings and businesses that have reported COVID-19 exposure in the capital. Residents, employees, and patrons of these locations must undergo COVID-19 testing and quarantine until receiving negative test results. Authorities will require close contacts of COVID-19 cases and their household members to quarantine for seven days, followed by a seven-day self-quarantine. Officials will require suspected cases stemming from an outbreak site to quarantine for seven days.

The government continues to permit international cargo transport via the Tsagaannuur and Borshoo border checkpoints. Authorities will reopen the Ereentsav border checkpoint for freight starting May 10.

Travel RestrictionsInternational travel restrictions will remain in effect until at least May 31. International commercial flights and passenger rail transport remain banned; only repatriation flights are operational for Mongolian nationals, permanent residents, and some long-term visa holders. Some charter flights for foreign nationals seeking to leave Mongolia are also authorized. International arrivals are required to quarantine in government-run facilities at their own expense for 10 days, followed by four days of self-quarantine.

Advice

Consider postponing travel to Mongolia if affected by travel restrictions. Register with your diplomatic mission if attempting to depart Mongolia. Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Confirm all domestic transport arrangements. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Plan for potential shipping disruptions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments.

Micro and small enterprises in Mongolia , including the ones in remote rural areas, will have more opportunities to withstand the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic and grow their business thanks to the latest agreement between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the local lender Transcapital NBFI.

Funds of up to MNT 10 billion (€2.9 million equivalent) will be used by Transcapital NBFI, the country’s leading micro lender and an EBRD partner since 2013, to provide loans to micro and small enterprises across this vast and sparsely populated east-Asian nation.

This will be the first EBRD loan agreement benefitting immediately from a long-term dollar-tugrug swap facility signed between the EBRD and the Bank of Mongolia in January 2021, the purpose of which is to increase the availability of MNT financing to local businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Only a small proportion of non-banking financial institutions in Mongolia provide funds to micro and small enterprises in rural areas. The EBRD loan will stimulate the development of non-banking lending in remote parts of the country and channel funds to rural businesses.

In Mongolia, the EBRD works to help build a diverse economy by developing the private sector and supporting infrastructure improvements. The Bank has invested more than €1.86 billion in 114 projects in the country since it started operations there in 2006.

May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian government has decided to postpone the re-opening of its air border until early June due to the COVID-19 surge, Deputy Prime Minister Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan said Wednesday.

Initially, the government decided to reopen its air border from May 1 to resume international passenger flights, after closing it in February 2020 to prevent the spread of the virus.

"Considering that the spread of the COVID-19 virus has not decreased as much as expected, we have decided to postpone the re-opening of the air border until early June," Amarsaikhan told reporters.

As of Wednesday, Mongolia has registered a total of 41,524 COVID-19 cases, among which over 32,600 were detected since April 1 this year.

The Asian country reported its first imported COVID-19 case in March 2020 and confirmed its first locally transmitted cases in November. Enditem

Today, UNICEF in partnership with the Government of Mongolia and the Ministry of Health has started the construction work of the new vaccines central storage building at the NCCD funded by the World Bank. The new facility will strengthen the capacity of Mongolia's health sector to prepare and respond to disease outbreaks and pandemics.

The new central vaccines storage will be a two-story, 1,686-square-meter facility designed to store Covid-19 and routine vaccines. The current vaccine storage was built in 2008 with the technical and financial support from UNICEF.

As of 4 May, Mongolia’s total tally of Covid-19 cases reached 40396. This was after 1015 new cases of infection were reported in the last 24 hours. Most of new cases reported in Mongolia were locally transmitted, however, 16 Indians who arrived in Ulaanbaatar by a Government chartered flight on 26 April were confirmed as having coronavirus. The Indian engineers are expected to work on Mongolia’s first oil refinery which is under construction in Dornogobi Province. Therefore, 16 Indians are now under quarantines in the province.

Separately, seven people died of coronavirus in Mongolia; this brings the total death toll to 126.

May 5 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's COVID-19 tally on Wednesday reached 41,524 after registering 1,128 new locally transmitted cases in the last 24 hours, the National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said.

Meanwhile, four more fatalities and 1,308 more recoveries were reported, bringing the death toll to 141 and the total number of recoveries to 25,641, respectively, the NCCD said in a statement.

Mongolia launched a national vaccination campaign in late February, with the aim of vaccinating at least 60 percent of its total population of 3.3 million.

Finance Minister Bold Javkhlan said Wednesday that the government will offer cash incentives of 50,000 Mongolian Tugriks (17.5 U.S. dollars) to citizens who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, as the population of daily vaccination has been "relatively low" in recent days.

According to the country's health ministry, more than 1,128,600 people have received their first vaccine dose while over 532,500 have got both. Enditem

‘Tavantolgoi’ JSC will be distributing MNT 28.1 billion in dividends to its shareholders.

According to a resolution made by the Company’s Board of Directors dated April 20, 2021, the dividends were to be MNT 357.0 per share. However, the amount per share has been increased to MNT 535.0 or MNT 28.1 billion in total.

The dividends will be paid to eligible shareholders through their accounts held at the Mongolian Central Securities Depository starting from April 21, 2021.