Mongolia agrees petroleum product supplies at domestic market prices with Russia www.interfax.com

Russia will not raise refinery gate prices for gasoline and diesel fuel exported to Mongolia, Mongolian government said on its website.

Mongolian Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Damdinnyam Gongor held talks with Russian officials on fuel supplies.

"He met with Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov. Following discussions on how to resolve the current situation, an agreement in principle was reached. Russia said it would supply fuel at domestic market prices. Minister Damdinnyam therefore announced that fuel and gasoline prices would not increase in May," the statement reads.

It was reported that the Mongolian authorities see a real threat to the country's fuel market and financial stability from the consequences of the military operation being conducted by the U.S. and Israel against Iran. Mongolia's economy, dependent on imports of petroleum products, will suffer from a global shock in the world market, which will trigger a fuel crisis that could last several months, according to the authorities.

At the end of March, it emerged that the Mongolian authorities had asked the government of Russia, which supplies 98% of all petroleum products to Mongolia, not to raise oil prices within the framework of bilateral trade, despite volatility in the global oil market. Mongolia forecasts that fuel prices on the domestic market could rise by up to 40% in the event of further increases in world prices.

Also, Mongolia and Kazakhstan have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the oil and gas sector, and are studying the possibility of supplying at least 1 million tonnes of Kazakh oil to Mongolia.

Meat Export Revenue Reaches USD 345.3 Million www.montsame.mn

With the purpose to boost meat and meat product exports and diversify product offerings, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry has established four working groups.

In this context, key priorities are being given to stopping the spread of infectious livestock diseases, improving hygiene and sanitary regulations and standards for exporting meat and meat products, and aligning them with international practices.

By the end of 2025, Mongolia’s meat exports reached 85,624 tonnes, marking a 20% increase compared to the previous year. Export revenue rose to a record USD 345.3 million.

Of the total exports in 2025, 34,653 tonnes were horse meat and 22,528 tonnes were processed meat products. China remains Mongolia’s largest buyer, accounting for 62% of exports, while 22% went to Gulf countries such as Iran and Iraq.

Meat exports, which declined during the pandemic, have rebounded significantly in recent years. Between 2020 and 2022, exports declined by an average of 45%, reaching a low of 16,000 tonnes in 2022. Since 2023, however, they have surged, reaching 80,400 tonnes - the highest level since the pandemic.

Businesses Sign Agreements Worth Over USD 20 Million www.montsame.mn

As part of the State Visit of President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa to the Republic of Kazakhstan, the “Kazakhstan-Mongolia Business Forum” was held in Astana.

The business forum aims at connecting Mongolian businesses with similar companies in Kazakhstan and help them enter new markets. It focused on sectors such as food production, wool and cashmere, leather, construction, transport, logistics and finance.

Organized jointly by the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) and “Atameken” National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan, the forum has brought together more than 250 representatives from government and private sectors of both countries.     

Both sides expressed their commitments to enriching their “strategic partnership” with economic content, developing mutually beneficial cooperation, expanding trade and investment and improving business environment. They highlighted that the EAEU-Mongolia Interim Trade Agreement, which removes or reduces tariffs on 367 types of goods, will help achieve the goal of increasing bilateral trade turnover to USD 500 million in the coming years and provide access to the Central Asian and third markets.   

During the forum, businesses from both countries exchanged views on future cooperation, investment opportunities, as well as joint projects and programs. Concluding the forum, Mongolian companies signed agreements and deals worth over USD 20 million with their Kazakhstan’s partners in the initial stage.

Agreements and cooperation memorandums were signed between the following partnerships:

    The MNCCI and “QazTrade” Trade Policy Development Center
    “QazTrade” Trade Policy Development Center and “Mon-Kaz Trade & Investment Hub”
    “Mon-Kaz Trade & Investment Hub” and Kazakhstan’s Export Credit Agency
    The Mongolian Tourism Association and the Tourism Department of Almaty Region
    Women entrepreneurs’ councils under Atameken and the MNCCI
    The Atyrau Wagon Manufacturing Plant and “Mongolian Ore Bal” LLC
    “Mongolian Ore Bal” LLC and “Altay Agro Trading” LLP
    The Mongolian Youth Federation and the Youth Congress of Kazakhstan
    The Association of Mongolian Wool Producers- Kham-Ts Group
    “CHBG Construction” LLC and “Alkaralbio”
    “Mongolsat Networks” LLC and “Askar Cinema”
    “Tuginat” LLC and “SymbatLab” LLC
    “Tuginat” LLC and “AB Smart Logistic”
    “Tuginat” LLC and “SS-Agro”
    “Munkh Amin Orchil” LLC and “KazEcoAgro”
    “Zhi Eu Finsight Holding” and “Go Finsight Agro Holding”
    “NUKHTTOUR” Co.Ltd- “Gumin Green Tech SPC Limited” and “RailSolution” LLC
    “Fine Wool Cashmere” and “Birzhan”
These agreements cover cooperation in trade, investment, logistics, tourism, agriculture, and industrial production.

President U.Khurelsukh meets with Armenian President Vahagn Garniki Khachaturyan www.gogo.mn

President U.Khurelsukh met with Armenian President Vahagn Garniki Khachaturyan during his participation in the regional high-level meeting on ecology in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The two heads of state noted the active development of traditionally friendly relations in the political sphere and exchanged views on expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

They also discussed the possibility of deepening economic and trade ties, particularly the export of agricultural products to the Armenian market within the framework of the interim trade agreement between Mongolia and the Eurasian Economic Union and its member states.

President U.Khurelsukh also introduced Mongolia’s “Billion Trees” national movement, launched in 2021 to help address global and regional challenges such as climate change and desertification and to promote ecological balance. 

N.Uchral: Diesel fuel could reach MNT 6,400 in May www.gogo.mn

Prime Minister N.Uchral said the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has shaken global markets and caused a sharp rise in diesel fuel prices.

“There are many fuel-related issues. Mongolia has been purchasing fuel based on the Singapore Exchange price system. However, the current global situation has created an unprecedented challenge. Instability in the Strait of Hormuz has severely affected the global energy market, causing crude oil and refined product prices to rise sharply. It is unclear how much worse the situation may become,” he said.

He noted that last April, diesel fuel was purchased at a price twice as high as in March, at USD 1,400 per ton, and is expected to rise to USD 1,700 in May.

“In other words, a liter of diesel fuel cost MNT 3,200 a month ago, but today it has risen to MNT 4,400. In May, it is expected to reach nearly MNT 6,400 per liter. The government has already taken measures, including removing a 5% customs duty. Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources G.Damdinnyam has been sent to Russia for urgent talks, and a meeting is also scheduled in Kazakhstan. I believe we will reach an effective agreement,” he said.

Why Britain’s partnership with Mongolia matters for our growth and security www.politicshome.com

Last month, I made my first visit to Mongolia as Minister for the Indo-Pacific.

Our UK-Mongolia relationship is based on shared democratic values, with our governments, civil society, Parliamentarians and media working side by side to build a more secure and prosperous future for our nations and our people.

The world we face now is increasingly volatile, with global events shaping our lives – wherever we are. We must continue to build partnerships around the world to face our shared challenges together.

That’s why my visit was about translating partnership into practical results: securing opportunities for British business, strengthening economic security, and backing a partnership that has purpose and ambition for today and for tomorrow.

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The UK was the first Western nation to establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia over sixty years ago, and that relationship has become ever more important in recent years. Mongolia’s economy is growing by 5–6 per cent a year, and the country is rich in the critical minerals on which the global economy increasingly depends. 

At the heart of my visit was the annual UK–Mongolia Political Dialogue, which I co‑chaired with Mongolia’s Deputy Foreign Minister. In Ulaanbaatar, this partnership is taking shape beneath the city streets. I discussed plans for the city’s first metro system – a transformative project that would cut congestion, reduce pollution and improve daily life for millions. British engineering expertise from projects like London’s Elizabeth Line is supporting those plans, backed by a strong UK Export Finance offer. If this project proceeds, it could generate significant export opportunities for the UK, supporting skilled jobs across our rail, engineering, and professional services sectors.

The benefits of partnership were also clear during my visit to the Gobi Desert, where I visited the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine, one of the largest in the world and operated by Rio Tinto, a British‑Australian company. With an ore body the size of Manhattan, the copper and other critical minerals extracted here are essential for everything from electric vehicles and renewable energy to data centres and the technologies that underpin modern life. At Oyu Tolgoi, UK linked investment is supporting communities and strengthening secure, sustainable supply chains the world depends on.

But our partnership is not only about minerals and megaprojects. Long‑term prosperity depends on people, skills, and opportunity. Working with UNICEF and Mongolia’s Ministry of Education, the UK is supporting Mongolia’s decision to make English its official second language through the provision of English‑language teaching, including in remote and nomadic communities. This partnership has already reached more than 147,000 young people, opening doors for the next generation of Mongolians. As one student said to me at our event with UNICEF, learning English “didn’t just teach her a language, it opened up a world of opportunity.”

Alongside this, the UK’s Chevening programme continues to support talented Mongolians to study in the UK, many of whom will go on to shape politics, business and civil society back in their own country in the years ahead. These alumni links are a powerful investment in future prosperity – strengthening long‑term ties that benefit both our nations.  

On my visit I also saw the importance of women’s leadership and civil society to economic success. I met female parliamentarians, business leaders and journalists, and supported UK‑backed work examining the barriers women face in public life. Inclusive economies are stronger economies. Women own two thirds of small and medium sized businesses in Mongolia and are represented at senior levels across heavy industry sectors too. Our tour of the Oyu Tolgoi mine was led by women engineers, and the driver of the “road train” – the long underground lorry, was a young woman.

Maintaining traditional sectors is important alongside new development. In the South Gobi, I also met with a herder family and saw first-hand Mongolia’s nomadic traditions. The family we met owned 100 camels and hundreds of livestock, while their sons have taken up opportunities as engineers at the mine and continue to support their parents as they can. It was a reminder that sustainable growth must work for communities as well as markets – and that responsible investment is essential to long‑term stability. 

Together the UK and Mongolia are investing in the future – in the next generation, in shared opportunity and in a partnership that will deliver in the decades to come.

Seema Malhotra MP

Condé Nast Traveller announces seven natural wonders of the world www.hospitalitynet.org

LONDON - Today, Condé Nast Traveller, the global authority on high-end travel, has revealed its seven natural wonders of the world. 

From Mongolia to Brazil, Condé Nast Traveller celebrates the places shaped slowly, by water, wind and ice, highlighting that in an age of accelerating change, these powerful landscapes represent the world’s deepest, but often overlooked beauty. 

Please see the full list below with the article available here: https://www.cntraveller.com/article/7-natural-wonders-of-the-world 

Altai Mountains - Mongolia

Great Bear Rainforest - Canada

Tsingy de Bemaraha - Madagascar

Raja Ampat - Indonesia

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park - Brazil

Morne Trois Pitons - Dominica

Bears Ears National Monument - USA

Find out why these landscapes have been selected in the full article available here:
https://www.cntraveller.com/article/7-natural-wonders-of-the-world 

ABOUT CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER
Condé Nast Traveller is the world’s most distinguished travel title providing inspiration and advice for discerning travellers. Authoritative and influential, Condé Nast Traveller features destinations in the UK and around the world, whilst offering their award-winning expertise in luxury travel. The title assembles four major hotel lists every year: Hot List, Spa Guide, Readers’ Choice Awards and The Gold List. https://www.cntraveller.com/

Mongolia Presents Three Environmental Initiatives at Astana Summit www.montsame.mn

President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa attended the opening of the Regional Ecological Summit being held in Astana as part of his State Visit to Kazakhstan.

Mongolia is participating in the summit with three initiatives focused on water, pastureland management, and nature-based solutions.

Participants are discussing eight priority themes, including support for climate transition, adaptation to climate and natural risks, economic resilience, regional ecosystems and food security, sustainable natural resource management, air pollution and waste management, mechanisms for implementing environmental goals, a just and inclusive transition, and the environment and digital transformation.

The summit is expected to define joint policies and strategies to respond to water shortages, glacier and ice melt, desertification, and air pollution, while also promoting cooperation among governments, the private sector, and international organizations in green finance, green technology, and sustainable investment.

Addressing the opening session, President Khurelsukh thanked President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for hosting the summit and said the meeting would make an important contribution to overcoming global challenges such as climate change, desertification, and water scarcity through collective action. He noted that at a time when implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals remains insufficient globally, Mongolia is actively advancing its “Billions of Trees” national movement to reduce land degradation and restore forests.

The president also called for cooperation under Mongolia’s initiative of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists to raise recognition of the sector and promote sustainable pasture management, restoration, investment, and food security.

He said Mongolia would work closely to implement proposals and recommendations emerging from the summit.

President Khurelsukh also invited countries to actively participate in the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, to be held in Ulaanbaatar in August under the theme “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope.” He also invited countries to send delegations to the World Women Parliamentarians Conference, which will be held in October.

President Tokayev first announced Kazakhstan’s plan to host the Regional Ecological Summit in 2026 while addressing the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2023.

About 1,500 representatives are attending the summit, including heads of state and government as well as senior officials from Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, China, Italy, Germany, and Japan.

Representatives of the United Nations, international organizations, banks and financial institutions, including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, as well as researchers, civil society, businesses, and media are also participating.

More than 50 cooperation documents, including joint statements, declarations, agreements, initiatives, investment projects, and programs, are expected to be signed at the summit, according to the Presidential Office.

Government Reviews Economic Risks Amid Rising Fuel Prices www.montsame.mn

During the regular Cabinet session, the Ministry of Economy and Development presented an update on the current economic situation and potential risks.

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are having a strong impact on global oil market, causing fuel prices to rise in the short term. This increase directly affects production costs and may put pressure on key sectors such as transportation, mining, agriculture, and trade. In addition, there is also a risk of increased budget expenditures due to the sharp rise in fuel prices.

In response, the Prime Minister noted that the government is taking step-by-step measures and instructed all sectors to develop and implement short-term action plans. 

Asian Battery Metals Completes Mongolia Acquisition and Commences Drilling www.discoveryalert.com.au

The successful completion of the Asian Battery Metals Mongolia acquisition marks a pivotal moment for Asian Battery Metals PLC (ASX: AZ9), as the company prepares to commence drilling operations at the newly acquired Maikhan Uul Copper-Gold Project next week. This strategic acquisition represents a significant milestone for the company as it expands its portfolio of critical metal assets in one of Asia's most prospective mining regions.

The completion of this deal positions Asian Battery Metals to capitalise on growing global demand for copper and gold—two metals essential for energy transition technologies and economic development. With rig mobilisation already well advanced, the company is moving quickly to unlock the exploration potential of this promising asset.

Immediate Drilling Campaign to Test High-Priority Targets
The company has outlined an aggressive 1,500-metre drilling program set to begin within the week, targeting multiple geological features identified through previous exploration work. The program combines both reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling techniques to systematically test the project's potential.

Key Drilling Objectives
• RC drilling targeting the established gold mineralisation zone

• Diamond drilling to test unexplored DHEM (downhole electromagnetic) plates

• Investigation of the interpreted feeder zone identified in previous surveys

• Rock chip sampling to assess surface mineralisation

• Verification of historical trench copper grades

The drilling strategy builds on encouraging results from previous exploration, including significant drill intercepts that have validated the project's geological potential. Historical exploration has identified compelling geochemical and geophysical signatures across the project area.

Strategic Portfolio Synergies Emerging
One of the most compelling aspects of this acquisition is the 8-kilometre proximity to Asian Battery Metals' existing Yambat (Oval Cu-Ni-PGE) Project. Furthermore, this close geographic relationship opens up potential synergies for combined development scenarios, creating operational efficiencies and cost advantages that could significantly enhance project economics.

The Project is located just 8km from the Yambat (Oval Cu-Ni-PGE) Project, complements our existing asset base and provides an exciting opportunity to unlock value and synergy for potential future combined development.

— Gan-Ochir Zunduisuren, Managing Director