Interview with Dr Sergey Diorditsa, WHO Representative to Mongolia

-At beginning of the pandemic, Mongolia sustained it under control. But in last few months COVID-19 situation in Mongolia is getting worse and number of deaths is increasing. How does WHO recap current situation of COVID-19 in Mongolia?

-Government of Mongolia has implemented actions to suppress and reduce transmission in response strategy. Increased testing, early detection, active surveillance, contact tracing, isolation, quarantine measures have been implemented effectively as comprehensive response package. Together with government we’re continuing to monitor situation. Big progress has been made in the stage assessment and application of restriction and NPI measures approved by government resolution on 21 February. Mongolia economic life has contributed to pandemic fatigue. As of last week, 99 clusters (57 of them active clusters) have been reported. Household setting had medium clusters of high frequency; cumulative proportions of reported cases is high. This is related with high density of people living in proximity, sharing living and sleeping spaces, frequent physical/direct contact. Most frequent setting is household accounted for 43.7% household, 4.7% have been reported in health facilities and 22.6% are workplace contacts.

-How does WHO cooperate with Government of Mongolia, State emergency commission, Health Ministry and what recommendations do you give them? How are they reflecting and implementing the recommendations in response measures against COVID-19?

-Mongolia has taken the whole-of-government approach. Government has been working round the clock, side by side with WHO. The system elements we’ve building over the past years has been strengthened and gained momentum. Risk assessment results revealed the high risk of insufficient control capacities with available resources. Forecasting of essential supplies has been estimated for national level and for each province. Based on risk assessment results, activation of Health Cluster and logistical forecasting, the government were able to increase domestic funding and strengthen health system. There is a management tools called incident management system where teams for planning and information, response, IPC, clinical management, logistics and supply, admin and finance. WHO has been part of the government IMS team to develop preparedness and response strategies, plans and procedures, ensure health facility preparedness and procurement of critical emergency supplies, laboratory consumables and vaccine.

-Daily number of COVID-19 cases in Mongolia is higher than other countries based on total population? In this context what measures should be taken?

-The number of cases per million population Mongolia was lower than in the rest of the world countries, but since 7 March, it higher than Asian average, and since 25 March, it higher than the world average. As of 2 April, it is 1.7 times higher than the Asian average and 3.9 times higher than the world average. In the Western Pacific Region, Mongolia now is the 5th highest incidence country after Philippines, Malaysia, Japan and Republic of Korea. Since 28 February 2021, the number of cases has increased from 2,900 to over 10,000 by 4 April. Contact tracing along with testing, isolation and care of cases is a key strategy for interrupting chains of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and reducing COVID-19 associated mortality. Contact tracing remains an important activity in high incidence scenarios. Contact tracing activities should be targeted rather than abandoned.

-The government of Mongolia has implemented lockdown measures several times. Did the government of Mongolia consult with WHO every time for those lockdowns? Do you think the lockdown measures had impacted on the covid-19 outbreak slow down? Is it necessary to implement another lockdown?

-The first case reported in Mongolia on 10 March. However, government took strict social distancing and travel measures before the first case report. Following rapid risk assessment conducted on 6 January 2020 to assess the risk of event importation, point of entry measures have been strengthened. Mongolia applied additional IHR measures imposing travel restrictions from 2 February on Chinese nationals and travelers from China, from 26 Feb 4 countries added and flights from Korea and Japan cancelled. Flights through Russia suspended from 2 March and all incoming travelers are subjected to 2-3-week quarantine to prevent pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission. Mongolia has taken early decisive actions to suppress the virus transmission. 17 ministry and agency representatives and WHO participated in the risk assessment. Since 6 January 2020, National Center for Communicable Diseases and NEMA coordinated 22 risk assessment. The risk assessment considered epidemiology and socio-economic situation. With Government resolution #45, NPI measures now based on each province stage assessment and staged, localized NPI measures using standardized process are taken by government.

-Mongolia has received the first batch of 14.400 doses of Astrazeneca vaccine through COVAX facility jointly implemented by WHO and other partners. Totally how many doses of covid-19 vaccines will be delivered through COVAX facility to Mongolia?

-COVAX plan to provide 2 billion doses in 2021 globally: almost 500 million doses have been secured for Q1 and Q2, with approximately an extra 160 million doses under negotiation. The rest will be delivered in the second half of the year.

COVAX remains fully committed to delivering vaccines as quickly as feasible. There are expected first doses to Facility Participants to be delivered in quarter 1 of 2021, with volumes increasing to more significant levels in quarter 2 and continuing to increase over the course of the year.

Mongolia is a one-member participant of COVAX Facility Advance Market Commitment (AMC) and allocated 112,800 doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine through May 2021.

Mongolia Government received 14,400 doses of Astrazeneca vaccines via COVAX facility, a partnership between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, GAVI, WHO and UNICEF. This delivery as a part of first wave of arrivals. WHO and UNICEF have been technically and financially supporting the Government of Mongolia to prepare for the COVID – 19 immunization campaign.

Mongolia has been selected for participation in the first wave Pfizer vaccine distribution round and is allocated 25,740 doses and received on batch shipment on 25 March 2021.

-Mongolia launched COVID-19 vaccination campaign in February. By today, around 300,000 people had been vaccinated. When will COVID-19 situation in Mongolia get better and will number of daily cases decrease based on the status of vaccination?

-Despite the vaccination is ongoing we still need to continue and maintain wearing masks, to avoid visiting crowded places and wash hands. It should be new normal till the situation will start to improve not only in Mongolia but in all other countries till pandemic is over.

-Information related to blood clotting and severe reactions for young women caused by Astrazeneca/Oxford vaccine did spread and many countries have suspended to use it. Do you provide recommendation on how to monitor people vaccinated with Astrazeneca vaccine in Mongolia?

There are possible side effects and AEFI:

The interim guidance has been developed on the basis of the advice issued by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on use of COVID-19 vaccines including Pfizer BionTech and Astrazeneca

Fever, headache, dizziness, chills, tiredness, poor appetite, vomiting; redness, pain, swelling at injection site, lymphadenopathy, muscle pain, joint pain, rash can occur. These reactions will disappear within 1-3 days.

In rare case, anaphylaxis, severe allergic reactions, encephalomyelitis, convulsion, neuritis, loss of function maybe occur.

Health facilities must prepare to be used ready emergency kit for treatment of anaphylaxis cases.

Co-administration of Astrazeneca vaccine with other vaccines is not recommended and other vaccines should be given 1 month apart from the vaccine. Person who has current infection of Covid-19 confirmed by PCR test can get the vaccine 6 months later.

Immunization

-The government of Mongolia is preparing to open the border in May 2021. Do you think that number of cases which already reached three-digit number will be decreased before May?

-I cannot predict what will be the number in May. But together with MOH and NCCD we are looking and modelling different scenarios. At the same time, WHO together with UNICEF will continue to work and provide technical support to ensure that vaccination is reaching all eligible groups based on priority of risks. I was visiting yesterday together with Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of health and observed the vaccination of elderly people who are together with health workers are at the most risks of COVID infection. And as I said earlier it is very important to continue contact tracing to identify places where people are infected and timely inform people of possible risks of infection, and to start treatment as soon as possible.

Olympic champion N.Tuvshinbayar, who is also President of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee (MNOC), has been imprisoned for 20 days for an assault.

N.Tuvshinbayar, 36, was questioned by the Khan-Uul District Police Department on Saturday (April 3) on the grounds of causing “serious damage to the health of others”. He was detained as part of an urgent operation by permission of the prosecutor.

The victim is E.Enkhbat, a fellow judoka and a close colleague of Tuvshinbayar. E.Enkhbat was hospitalised unconsciousness at the intensive care unit of the National Centre for Treatment and Research after the assault that appears to have caused serious brain damage.

Enkhbat’s career medals include a silver in the men’s under-100kg category at the International Judo Federation (IJF) Grand Slam in Baku in Azerbaijan in 2013 and a gold in the same category at the IJF World Cup in Jeju, South Korea in 2012.

After winning the Olympic gold medal at Beijing 2008, N.Tuvshinbayar competed in the same under-100kg category at London 2012, claiming a silver medal on this occasion.

He was elected unopposed as President of the MNOC, which this year is celebrating its 65th anniversary, which occurred August last year.

The global tourism sector has greatly suffered – and continues to do so – due to the COVID-19 pandemic following the closure of borders. According to the Mongolian Tourism Organisation, the pandemic has affected 95.4 percent of all local businesses, 78.8 percent of them faced challenges to keep jobs and 30 percent of them have had to cut 70 percent of all workers.

Mongolia is preparing to open its borders from 1 May, but not with all countries simultaneously.

The organisation conducted a survey among 100 tour companies about foreign tourist who planned to travel in Mongolia as soon as the country opens its borders. According to the survey, some 40,000 foreign tourists are waiting for Mongolia to re-open its borders.

More than 500 tour companies are registered in Mongolia; over 200 of them have active operations.

With the EV boom squarely in the front view mirror, and with battery gigafactories promising to be heavy-hitting purchasers, lithium prices have started to rise at a fast pace.

Several months ago, Chile’s second-largest lithium producer, Albemarle Corp. (NYSE:ALB), warned that global supplies of lithium were on course for a major shortfall in a few years’ time if prices fail to reflect the costs of funding massive expansions amid the EV boom. Specifically, ALB highlighted the chasm between discount-hunting EV manufacturers and lithium producers who were unable to meet growing demand at persistently low prices. But maybe Eric Norris, operations manager for Albemarle’s lithium business, rushed his fences: Lithium carbonate prices have nearly tripled after sinking to multi-year lows of $29,800 per ton in July 2020. Lithium carbonate is a critical ingredient in the manufacture of Lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

And now another giant lithium producer is dancing to the same tune.

Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium, the world’s largest lithium mining company with a market capitalization of $19 billion, says that lithium prices will continue to rally as lithium production struggles to keep up with the massive demand for EVs. The Chinese company has some decent credibility--after all, it counts leading EV makers such as Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and BMW (OTCPK:BMWYY) among its customers.

Ganfeng Lithium reported net income of 1.025-billion yuan ($156-million) in 2020, a huge improvement on 2019 partly due to gains on the fair value of financial assets such as equities but also due to strong demand for battery-grade lithium.

Mega rally

Investors started pouring into lithium years ago, anticipating the very same supply crunch that Ganfeng Lithium and Albemarle are warning is now looming. They jumped the gun then, partly out of poorly timed over-enthusiasm, and partly because the logic ran like this: Any new lithium mines that could contribute to the EV battery onslaught would take years to bring online, from scratch--so best to get started in advance.

Now, with the EV boom squarely in the front view mirror, and with battery gigafactories promising to be heavy-hitting purchasers, we can finally see the much-anticipated supply crunch forming.

Battery-grade lithium carbonate prices started to buck a three-year downturn during the second half of 2020 thanks to robust EV demand roared back from the coronavirus. Lithium carbonate prices have gained 67% so far in 2021 and 224% in the past 12 months.

That’s mainly thanks to the postponement of lithium project expansions in South America--due to previous demand forecasts as well as the impact of the pandemic. This is expected to slow down the short-term supply of the lithium compound and improve pricing, according to Ganfeng.

Ganfeng expects its massive Cauchari-Olaroz lithium salt lake project in Argentina to produce 40,000 tons per year of lithium carbonate when it comes online in the first half of 2022.

Ganseng current boasts an annual capacity of just over 120,000 tons.

Looking further ahead, the company hopes to establish a lithium salt capacity of at least 600,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) annually, good for a 400% increase.

That alone should give you an idea of how bullish these companies are on lithium, thanks to the global EV and electrification drive.

Commodity rally

But lithium producers such as Ganfeng, Albermale and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) can also thank another potent force working in their favor--a global commodity bull market.

A cross-section of Wall Street luminaries from Pimco to Point 72 have predicted a broad commodity rally thanks to the so-called reflation trade. Indeed, Wall Street is predicting a new commodity bull market that will rival the oil price spikes of the 1970s or the China-driven boom of the 2000s. Market experts, including Goldman Sachs, believe the commodity boom could rival the last “supercycle” in the early 2000s that powered emerging BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).

Iron ore and copper prices are already trading at multi-year highs, while global oil prices have rebounded strongly from historical lows.

Lithium, oil, and copper are expected to be among the biggest beneficiaries of the new commodity bull market.

Russia is amassing unprecedented military might in the Arctic and testing its newest weapons in a region freshly ice-free due to the climate emergency, in a bid to secure its northern coast and open up a key shipping route from Asia to Europe.

Weapons experts and Western officials have expressed particular concern about one Russian 'super-weapon,' the Poseidon 2M39 torpedo. Development of the torpedo is moving fast with Russian President Vladimir Putin requesting an update on a "key stage" of the tests in February from his defense minister Sergei Shoigu, with further tests planned this year, according to multiple reports in state media.

This unmanned stealth torpedo is powered by a nuclear reactor and intended by Russian designers to sneak past coastal defenses -- like those of the US -- on the sea floor.

The device is intended to deliver a warhead of multiple megatons, according to Russian officials, causing radioactive waves that would render swathes of the target coastline uninhabitable for decades.

In November, Christopher A Ford, then assistant secretary of state for International Security and Non-Proliferation, said the Poseidon is designed to "inundate U.S. coastal cities with radioactive tsunamis."

An "onyx" anti-ship cruise missile launched by the Northern Fleet in Alexandra Land, near an Arctic "trefoil" base. Credit: Russian Ministry of Defense

Experts agree that the weapon is "very real" and already coming to fruition. The head of Norwegian intelligence, Vice Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes, told CNN that his agency has assessed the Poseidon as "part of the new type of nuclear deterrent weapons. And it is in a testing phase. But it's a strategic system and it's aimed at targets ... and has an influence far beyond the region in which they test it currently." Stensønes declined to give details on the torpedo's testing progress so far.

Satellite images provided to CNN by space technology company Maxar detail a stark and continuous build-up of Russian military bases and hardware on the country's Arctic coastline, together with underground storage facilities likely for the Poseidon and other new high-tech weapons. The Russian hardware in the High North area includes bombers and MiG31BM jets, and new radar systems close to the coast of Alaska.

The Russian build-up has been matched by NATO and US troop and equipment movements. American B-1 Lancer bombers stationed in Norway's Ørland air base have recently completed missions in the eastern Barents Sea, for example. The US military's stealth Seawolf submarine was acknowledged by US officials in August as being in the area.

A senior State Department official told CNN: "There's clearly a military challenge from the Russians in the Arctic," including their refitting of old Cold War bases and build-up of new facilities on the Kola Peninsula near the city of Murmansk. "That has implications for the United States and its allies, not least because it creates the capacity to project power up to the North Atlantic," the official said.

The satellite images show the slow and methodical strengthening of airfields and "trefoil" bases -- with a shamrock-like design, daubed in the red, white and blue of the Russian flag -- at several locations along Russia's Arctic coast over the past five years. The bases are inside Russian territory and part of a legitimate defense of its borders and coastline. US officials have voiced concern, however, that the forces might be used to establish de facto control over areas of the Arctic that are further afield, and soon to be ice-free.

"Russia is refurbishing Soviet-era airfields and radar installations, constructing new ports and search-and-rescue centers, and building up its fleet of nuclear- and conventionally-powered icebreakers," Lt. Col. Thomas Campbell, a Pentagon spokesman, told CNN.

The 50 Let Pobedy (50 years of victory) icebreaker moving through the Arctic ice, said to be in January this year, in a first transit of the eastern seas in deep winter. Credit: Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation

"It is also expanding its network of air and coastal defense missile systems, thus strengthening its anti-access and area-denial capabilities over key portions of the Arctic," he added.

Campbell also noted the recent creation of a Quick Reaction Alert force at two Arctic airfields -- Rogachevo and Anadyr -- and the trial of one at Nagurskoye airfield last year. Satellite imagery from March 16 shows probable MiG31BMs at Nagurskoye for what is thought to be the first time, bringing a new capability of Russian stealth air power to the far north.

High-tech weapons are also being regularly tested in the Arctic area, according to Russian officials quoted in state media and Western officials.

Campbell added that in November, Russia claimed the successful test of the 'Tsirkon' anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile.

A Russian army demonstration video of its new ski sled for the Arctic. Credit: Russian Ministry of Defense

The Tsirkon and the Poseidon are part of a new generation of weapons pledged by Putin in 2018 as strategic game changers in a fast-changing world.

At the time US officials scorned the new weapons as technically far-fetched and improbable, yet they appear to be nearing fruition. The Norwegian intelligence chief Stensønes told CNN the Tsirkon as a "new technology, with hypersonic speeds, which makes it hard to defend against."

On Thursday, Russian state news agency TASS cited a source in the military industrial complex as saying there had been another successful test of the Tsirkon from the Admiral Gorshkov warship, saying all four test rockets had hit their target, and that another more advanced level of tests would begin in May or June.

The climate emergency has removed many of Russia's natural defenses to its north, such as walls of sheet ice, at an unanticipated rate. "The melt is moving faster than scientists predicted or thought possible several years ago," said the senior State Department official. "It's going to be a dramatic transformation in the decades ahead in terms of physical access."

US officials also expressed concern at Moscow's apparent bid to influence the "Northern Sea Route" -- a shipping lane that runs from between Norway and Alaska, along Russia's northern coast, across to the North Atlantic. The 'NSR' potentially halves the time it currently takes shipping containers to reach Europe from Asia via the Suez Canal.

Russia's Rosatom state nuclear company released elaborately produced drone video this February of the 'Christophe de Margerie' tanker completing an eastern route across the Arctic in winter for the first time, accompanied by the '50 Let Pobedy' nuclear icebreaker for its journey in three of the six Arctic seas.

Campbell said Russia sought to exploit the NSR as a "major international shipping lane," yet voiced concern at the rules Moscow was seeking to impose on vessels using the route. "Russian laws governing NSR transits exceed Russia's authority under international law," the Pentagon spokesman said.

"They require any vessel transiting the NSR through international waters to have a Russian pilot onboard to guide the vessel. Russia is also attempting to require foreign vessels to obtain permission before entering the NSR."

The senior State Department official added: "The Russian assertions about the Northern Sea Route is most certainly an effort to lay down some rules of the road, get some de facto acquiescence on the part of the international community, and then claim this is the way things are supposed to work."

Elizabeth Buchanan, lecturer of Strategic Studies at Deakin University, Australia, said that "basic geography affords Russia the NSR which is increasingly seeing thinner ice for more of the year making it commercially viable to use as a transport artery. This might yet transform global shipping, and with it the movements of 90+% of all goods globally."

The State Department official believes the Russians are mostly interested in exporting hydrocarbons -- essential to the country's economy -- along the route, but also in the resources being uncovered by the fast melt. The flexing of their military muscles in the north -- key to Moscow's nuclear defense strategy, and also mostly on Russian coastal territory -- could be a bid to impose their writ on the wider area, the official said.

"When the Russians are testing weapons, jamming GPS signals, closing off airspace or sea space for exercises, or flying bombers over the Arctic along the airspace of allies and partners, they are always trying to send a message," the official added.

Russia insists motives are peaceful and economic

Russia's foreign ministry declined to comment, yet Moscow has long maintained its goals in the Arctic are economic and peaceful.

A March 2020 document by Kremlin policymakers presented Russia's key goals in an area behind 20% of its exports and 10% of its GDP. The strategy focuses on ensuring Russia's territorial integrity and regional peace. It also expresses the need to guarantee high living standards and economic growth in the region, as well as developing a resource base and the NSR as "a globally competitive national transport corridor."

Putin regularly extols the importance of Russia's technological superiority in the Arctic. In November, during the unveiling of a new icebreaker in St. Petersburg, the Russian President said: "It is well-known that we have a unique icebreaker fleet that holds a leading position in the development and study of Arctic territories. We must reaffirm this superiority constantly, every day."

Putin said of a submarine exercise last week in which three submarines surfaced at the same time in the polar ice: "The Arctic expedition ... has no analogues in the Soviet and the modern history of Russia."

Among these new weapons is the Poseidon 2M39. The plans for this torpedo were initially revealed in an apparently purposeful brandishing of a document discussing its capabilities by a Russian general in 2015.

It was subsequently partially dismissed by analysts as a 'paper tiger' weapon, meant to terrify with its apocalyptic destructive powers that appear to slip around current treaty requirements, but not to be successfully deployed.

A Russian Delta IV submarine photographed on top of ice near Alexandra Island on March 27, during an exercise, with a likely hole blown in the ice to its left from underwater demolition.

A Russian Delta IV submarine photographed on top of ice near Alexandra Island on March 27, during an exercise, with a likely hole blown in the ice to its left from underwater demolition.

Yet a series of developments in the Arctic -- including, according to Russian media reports, the testing of up to three Russian submarines designed to carry the stealth weapon, which has been suggested to be 20 meters long -- have now led analysts to consider the project real and active.

Russia's state news agency, RIA Novosti, cited a "source" on Monday saying that tests for the Belgorod submarine, especially developed to be armed with the Poseidon torpedo, would be completed in September.

Manash Pratim Boruah, a submarine expert at Jane's Fighting Ships, said: "The reality of the weapon is clear. You can absolutely see development around the torpedo, which is happening. There is a very good probability that the Poseidon will be tested, and then there is a danger of it polluting a lot. Even without a warhead, but definitely with just a nuclear reactor inside."

Boruah said some of the specifications for the torpedo leaked by the Russians were optimistic and doubted it could reach a speed of 100 knots (around 115 miles per hour) with a 100MW nuclear reactor. He added that at such a speed, it would probably be detected quite easily as it would create a large acoustic signature.

"Even if you tone it down from the speculation, it is still quite dangerous," he said.

Boruah added that the construction of storage bays for the Poseidon, probably around Olenya Guba on the Kola Peninsula, were meant to be complete next year. He also expressed concerns about the Tsirkon hyper-sonic missile that Russia says it has tested twice already, which at speeds of 6 to 7 Mach would "definitely cause a lot of damage without a particularly having big warhead itself."

Katarzyna Zysk, professor of international relations at the state-run Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, said the Poseidon was "getting quite real," given the level of infrastructure development and testing of submarines to carry the torpedo.

"It is absolutely a project that will be used to scare, as a negotiation card in the future, perhaps in arms control talks," Zysk said. "But in order to do so, it has to be credible. This seems to be real."

Stensønes also raised the concern that testing such nuclear weapons could have serious environmental consequences. "We are ecologically worried. This is not only a theoretical thing: in fact, we have seen serious accidents in the last few years," he said, referring to the testing of the Burevestnik missile which was reported to have caused a fatal nuclear accident in 2019. "The potential of a nuclear contamination is absolutely there."

Today’s COVID-19 daily briefing by the Ministry of Health reported that a total of 376,373 people in Mongolia or 18.8 percent of nationwide vaccination target, have been fully and partially vaccinated against COVID-19.

On April 4 and 5, more than 1,000 healthcare officers and doctors are working at 64 vaccination sites to vaccinate people aged over 50, reports the National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD).

On April 3, Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene visited the vaccination sites in Ulaanbaatar city to get acquainted with the vaccine rollout process. During the visit, the Prime Minister assured that the period of partial restrictions ongoing between April 3 and 18 will allow to vaccinate up to 30,000 people a day, instead of daily average of 12,000.

As a result of accelerating the vaccine rollout, around 2 million adult population of Mongolia are expected to receive the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines before June 1, and all target population in Ulaanbaatar city will be fully vaccinated within the month of May.

The new Minister of Education and Sciences of Mongolia, H.E Mr. L. Enkh-Amgalan received at the headquarters of that ministry the Ambassador of Cuba Raúl Delgado Concepción in a working meeting that patented the progress made in this area of work in the relations between both nations.

With the signing in 2017 of the Agreement for the Recognition of Higher Education Degrees, three years ago, the rapprochement between the teaching and research institutions between the two countries began. Delegations from the National University of Mongolia have since participated in the events organized by their Cuban counterparts as “Universidad para Todos” in 2018 and 2019. The signing of memorandums of understanding between these institutions reaffirms the commitment to find the spaces that within the spheres of education and research are open for cooperation between these educational centers.

During the meeting, the Minister of Education and Sciences of Mongolia Mr. Enkh-Amgalan thanked the Antillean nation for the more than 150 young Mongols who have received professional instruction in Cuban educational centers, mainly in the fields of medical sciences, stomatology, veterinary medicine, engineering, agronomy, law among others. The Minister requested the Cuban ambassador to convey to the highest Cuban authorities the official invitation for a Cuban delegation to participate in the high-level segment of the Congress of Ministers of Education that will take place in Ulaanbaatar next October of this year.

The points of view exchanged at the meeting also included the expansion of cooperation in the science and innovation sectors, the exchange of knowledge in the biotechnology area and the trade in products manufactured by these emerging companies. (EmbaCuba Mongolia)

Mongolia reported 602 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and one more death in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally and death toll to 10,820 and 16 respectively, the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said Monday.

A total of 9,804 COVID-19 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday, and 602 of them were positive, the NCCD said in a statement.

Of the latest confirmed cases, 514 were detected in Ulan Bator, the country's capital and the hardest-hit city, according to the center.

The Asian country launched a national vaccination campaign in late February, with the aim of vaccinating at least 60 percent of its total population.

More than 376,300 people have been vaccinated so far, according to the health ministry.

From today (5 April), Mongolia begun vaccinating people aged between 18 and 49 in Ulaanbaatar – in other words, the bulk of the workforce. The Government is aiming for all citizens in Ulaanbaatar to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 1 May and the rest of the population by 1 June.

The country of three million started the nationwide vaccination rollout on 23 February. The early stage of vaccination focused on target groups such as elderly people, medical workers and those with chronic diseases. So far, 60 percent of Mongolians aged above 50 have already received first dose of the vaccine.

As of today (5 April), Mongolia has vaccinated over 360 thousand people above the age of 18. The coronavirus vaccination rollout is ongoing.

In March 2021, the Bank of Mongolia (BoM) purchased 917 kg precious metals. Thus, total amount of precious metals' purchase has reached 2.9 tons since the beginning of this year, showing a decrease of 2.4 tons compared to the same period of previous year.

The BoM branches in Darkhan-Uul and Bayankhongor aimag bought 27.5 kg and 35.5 kg of precious metals respectively in March.

The average price of BoM’s purchase of 1 gram of gold was MNT 157,543.30 in March.