1 MONGOLIA MARKS CENTENNIAL WITH A NEW COURSE FOR CHANGE WWW.EASTASIAFORUM.ORG PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      2 E-MART OPENS FIFTH STORE IN ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, TARGETING K-FOOD CRAZE WWW.BIZ.CHOSUN.COM PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      3 JAPAN AND MONGOLIA FORGE HISTORIC DEFENSE PACT UNDER THIRD NEIGHBOR STRATEGY WWW.ARMYRECOGNITION.COM  PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      4 CENTRAL BANK LOWERS ECONOMIC GROWTH FORECAST TO 5.2% WWW.UBPOST.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      5 L. OYUN-ERDENE: EVERY CITIZEN WILL RECEIVE 350,000 MNT IN DIVIDENDS WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      6 THE BILL TO ELIMINATE THE QUOTA FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN MONGOLIA HAS BEEN SUBMITTED WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      7 THE SECOND NATIONAL ONCOLOGY CENTER TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN ULAANBAATAR WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      8 GREEN BOND ISSUED FOR WASTE RECYCLING WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      9 BAGANUUR 50 MW BATTERY STORAGE POWER STATION SUPPLIES ENERGY TO CENTRAL SYSTEM WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      10 THE PENSION AMOUNT INCREASED BY SIX PERCENT WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      КОКС ХИМИЙН ҮЙЛДВЭРИЙН БҮТЭЭН БАЙГУУЛАЛТЫГ ИРЭХ ОНЫ ХОЁРДУГААР УЛИРАЛД ЭХЛҮҮЛНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     "ЭРДЭНЭС ТАВАНТОЛГОЙ” ХК-ИЙН ХУВЬЦАА ЭЗЭМШИГЧ ИРГЭН БҮРД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГ ӨНӨӨДӨР ОЛГОНО WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГИЙН ОРЛОГО 2040 ОНД 38 ИХ НАЯДАД ХҮРЭХ ТӨСӨӨЛӨЛ ГАРСАН WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ЭРДЭНЭС ОЮУ ТОЛГОЙ” ХХК-ИАС ХЭРЛЭН ТООНО ТӨСЛИЙГ ӨМНӨГОВЬ АЙМАГТ ТАНИЛЦУУЛЛАА WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     Л.ОЮУН-ЭРДЭНЭ: ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГААС НЭГ ИРГЭНД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГИЙН ХАДГАЛАМЖ ҮҮСЛЭЭ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ENTRÉE RESOURCES” 2 ЖИЛ ГАРУЙ ҮРГЭЛЖИЛСЭН АРБИТРЫН МАРГААНД ЯЛАЛТ БАЙГУУЛАВ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ORANO MINING”-ИЙН ГЭРЭЭ БОЛОН ГАШУУНСУХАЙТ-ГАНЦМОД БООМТЫН ТӨСЛИЙН АСУУДЛААР ЗАСГИЙН ГАЗАР ХУРАЛДАЖ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     АЖИЛЧДЫН САРЫН ГОЛЧ ЦАЛИН III УЛИРЛЫН БАЙДЛААР ₮2 САЯ ОРЧИМ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     PROGRESSIVE EQUITY RESEARCH: 2025 ОН “PETRO MATAD” КОМПАНИД ЭЭЛТЭЙ БАЙХААР БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     2026 ОНЫГ ДУУСТАЛ ГАДААД АЖИЛТНЫ ТОО, ХУВЬ ХЭМЖЭЭГ ХЯЗГААРЛАХГҮЙ БАЙХ ХУУЛИЙН ТӨСӨЛ ӨРГӨН МЭДҮҮЛЭВ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19    

Category

Events

Events

Name organizer Where
MBCC “Doing Business with Mongolia seminar and Christmas Receptiom” Dec 10. 2024 London UK MBCCI London UK Goodman LLC

NEWS

64x64

BioNTech says vaccine approval possible in mid-December under ideal conditions www.reuters.com

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - U.S. and European regulators could approve Pfizer and BioNTech’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine as early as mid-December, the German firm’s chief executive said on Wednesday, following the release of positive trial results.
Speaking to Reuters TV, Chief Executive Ugur Sahin said if all goes well, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could grant emergency-use approval towards the end of the first half of December or early in the second half.
Conditional approval in the European Union could be achieved in the second half of December, he added.
“It will depend on the requests that we will receive and whether all the conditions are met,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the partners unveiled trial results showing their shot had a 95% efficacy rate across different age groups and no serious side effects, a major milestone in the race to end the pandemic.
Sahin said that any coronavirus vaccine that clears regulatory hurdles over the next few months will be lapped up by health systems around the world regardless of its relative merits as demand will far outstrip supply.
“I don’t really expect a competitive situation over the first nine months because every dose of approved vaccine that anyone can supply is welcome and will likely be used.”
Moderna Inc on Monday released preliminary data for its vaccine, showing 94.5% effectiveness. AstraZeneca, working on a vaccine with Oxford University, is expected to release results from its mass trial before year-end.
“The first five to eight companies (to win approval) will not stand in each other’s way... I assume it won’t be before mid-2021 that each vaccine will have to distinguish itself with a specific profile,” said Sahin.
He added that BioNTech and Pfizer were working on a refined formulation of the vaccine that will not require ultra-cold storage for easier handling in developing countries.
The more robust version would likely be launched during the second half of next year, he said.
For now BioNTech’s vaccine must be stored and transported at -70C though it can be kept in a normal fridge for up to five days, or up to 15 days in a thermal shipping box.
Reporting by Ludwig Burger, Patricia Weiss and Tilman Blasshofer; Editing by Jan Harvey and Aurora Ellis
...


64x64

Major Drilling Mongolia Drills Record 2,000-Meter PQ Hole for Oyu Tolgoi www.majordrilling.com

A new drilling record is set in Mongolia at the Oyu Tolgoi copper project where Major Drilling teams completed a 2,000-meter (6,561 feet) PQ3 diameter hole. It is an extremely deep hole for PQ requiring both experience and expertise.
“The successful completion of this hole is not only an incredible achievement for Major Drilling Mongolia, it also opens the door for additional deep hole drilling at Oyu Tolgoi as the project continues to expand,” Ann Sam, Oyu Tolgoi Supervisor Mine Geology, Underground Geoscience Services, said.
The specialized drilling teams met both the challenge to reach the record-setting depth and the requirement to approach at a 65-degree dip. Their determination for the 104 days of the project yielded an average 10 meters (33 feet) per shift while intersecting eight faults. Controlled drilling from the surface with multiple bottom hole assembly changes maintained precise hole direction. The drill hole was grouted to surface. Drilling teams used a UDR 5000 multi-purpose rig.
Denis Larocque, Major Drilling President and CEO, is proud of the drillers and how their work contributes to the overall project. He happily credits Major Drilling’s specialized drilling experts for finding a way to achieve the impossible.
“I had a chance to visit the site and see the UDR 5000 on my last visit last November, which was my final international trip before the coronavirus pandemic,” Larocque said. “I was impressed by the setup I saw at that rig and the rest of the operations.”
Confidence in the abilities of the Major Drilling Mongolia team built after the completion of another deep PQ record for Oyu Tolgoi in June 2020. That hole was 1,539.5 meters with a set up angle of -73 degrees and two daughter holes.
Confidence in the abilities of the Major Drilling Mongolia team built after the completion of another deep PQ record for Oyu Tolgoi in June 2020. That hole was 1,539.5 meters with a setup angle of -73 degrees and two daughter holes.
Larocque hopes COVID-19 travel restrictions will resolve as soon as possible so he can return to Mongolia and celebrate this record drilling achievement with the local drillers. It is a group that has, since early 2000, established a drilling campaign in the Gobi Desert to answer the call from Rio Tinto for high standards of equipment, people and safety needed to bring the Oyu Tolgoi mining complex to life.
The Oyu Tolgoi mine is jointly owned by the Government of Mongolia and Turquoise Hill Resources, a majority owned Rio Tinto mineral exploration and development company. Rio Tinto has managed the Oyu Tolgoi project since 2010. Major Drilling received recognition as the 2019 Best Drilling Company from the Mongolia Drilling Association.
At the helm of Major Drilling’s onsite operations is Special Projects Manager, Shaun Hogan. Shaun leads a highly capable team of drillers and support staff required for the operation. His focus on Major Drilling’s values of quality, safety and results have big impacts on each day’s drilling procedures at Oyu Tolgoi. Safety is at the forefront through use of TAKE 5 risk assessments, the 10 Lifesaving Rules, and the Critical Risks Management programs.
“We’re very proud of this record achievement from Shaun and our Major Drilling Mongolia team,” J.R. Davies, Major Drilling VP Operations – Asia, said. “What our teams are doing every day strengthens our partnership with Oyu Tolgoi and continues to develop their impressive copper project.”
...


64x64

ADB allocates $20 million to help developing members access vaccines for COVID-19 www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar/MONTSAME/. On November 17, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has allocated $20.3 million in technical assistance to help its developing members access vaccines for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and establish systems to enable equitable and efficient vaccine distribution.
The funds will be available for ADB developing members to support vaccine-related health system assessments and the development of country readiness plans to strengthen the capacity to access, introduce, deploy, deliver, and monitor vaccines safely and effectively. Funds will help members assess and strengthen vaccine cold chain and logistics, infection control, supply and skills of health workers, risk communications, and real-time data capturing and monitoring. The technical assistance will also support the identification and promotion of innovative cold chain and vaccine tracking technologies.
“Asia and the Pacific has largely done well to limit the spread of COVID-19. Ensuring access to a safe, effective, and equitable vaccine is the next frontier in the fight against this virus,” said Director General of ADB’s Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department Woochong Um. “With these additional grant resources, ADB can immediately support our developing members to undertake urgent actions, including vaccine system assessments and vaccine deployment strategies, to ensure vaccines are delivered efficiently and fairly.”
ADB expects to implement the technical assistance with its partners UNICEF and the World Health Organization, in coordination with COVAX, Gavi, the World Bank, bilateral agencies, among others.
The funds comprise $20 million from ADB’s Technical Assistance Special Fund (TASF) and $300,000 from the High-Level Technology Fund financed by the Government of Japan.
ADB approved a $20 billion expanded assistance package in April to support its developing members’ COVID-19 response. Visit ADB’s website to learn more about our ongoing response.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.­­­.
Source: ADB
...


64x64

Non-performing loans in banking system amounted to MNT 2.0 trillion www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar/MONTSAME/. At the end of October 2020, the total amount of outstanding loans to entities and individuals amounted to MNT 17.2 trillion, decreased by MNT 139.1 billion (0.8%) from the previous month, and by MNT 993.4 billion (5.5%) from the same period of the previous year. In the total outstanding loans, MNT 8.9 trillion (51.9%) was individual loans.
The performing loans reached MNT 14.0 trillion at the end of October 2020, decreased by MNT 251.5 billion (1.8%) from the previous month, and by MNT 1.3 trillion (8.8%) from the same period of the previous year. The performing loans make up 81.2% of the total loans and decreased by 2.9 percentage points from the same period of the previous year.
At the end of October 2020, the principals in arrears amounted to MNT 1.2 trillion, increased by MNT 79.5 billion (6.9%) from the previous month, and by MNT 274.1 billion (28.8%) from the same period of the previous year. The principals in arrears make up to 7.1% of the total loans, increased by 1.9 percentage points from the same period of the previous year.
At the end of October 2020, the non-performing loans in the banking system amounted to MNT 2.0 trillion, increased by MNT 32.8 billion (1.7%) from the previous month and by MNT 75.2 billion (3.9%) from the previous year. The non-performing loans in the banking system make up to 11.6% of the total loans, increased by 1.0 percentage points from the same period of the previous year.
The principal arrears in commercial banks and Mongolian Mortgage Corporation /MMC/ reached MNT 4.8 trillion at the end of September 2020, increased by MNT 27.9 billion (0.6%) from the previous month, and by MNT 303.6 (6.7%) billion from the same period of the previous year.
Source: National Statistics Office
...


64x64

Boeing's 737 Max gets approval to fly passengers again www.cnn.com

New York (CNN Business)The Federal Aviation Administration issued an order Wednesday that paved the way for the troubled Boeing 737 Max to carry passengers again, ending the jet's 20-month grounding.
The plane, the best-selling jet in Boeing's (BA) fleet, was grounded in March 2019 after two fatal crashes that killed 346 people. It was discovered that a safety feature meant to stop the plane from climbing too fast and stalling had improperly forced the nose of the plane down, causing the crashes.
The process of approving the plane to carry passengers has stretched on far longer than originally expected and cost Boeing more than $20 billion, according to the company. Lost orders for the jet during that time could make it among the most expensive mistakes ever made by a company.
Although approval was expected this week, Boeing (BA) shares nonetheless rose 5% in premarket trading Wednesday.
The FAA action is only the first step in allowing 59 airlines which own the 387 grounded planes to fly them as part of their schedule. The FAA said in a statement before any of the planes can be flown with passengers again, the necessary changes to the 737 Max identified in the approval process must be installed, the FAA must inspect the individual planes. The pilots must also complete additional training.
That process is expected to take between a few weeks and a few months, depending on the airline. So far only American Airlines (AAL) has added the plane to its schedule for a handful of flights between Miami and New York in late December and early January. Other airlines are holding off. Southwest (LUV), which has 34 of the jets -- more than any other airline -- isn't expected to fly passengers on the 737 Max until spring of 2021.
Some of the family members of those who died in the crashes have objected to the return to service for the plane. They say Boeing made mistakes in the design of the 737 Max, the newest version of a long-serving plane, which made their version dangerous, and the FAA made mistakes approving the original version and recertifying it to fly now.
"The plane is inherently unstable and it is unairworthy without its software," said Michael Stumo, whose daughter Samaya Rose Stumo died in the March 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane. "They haven't fixed it so far. The flying public should avoid the Max in the future. Change your flight."
Stumo and other family members had a press conference Tuesday ahead of the announcement. Stumo said the FAA should have insisted on a third sensor be added to determine if the plane is in danger of stalling. He said other changes should have been made to the way pilots are alerted if there is a problem.
"We as family members want to avoid a third crash," he said.
The investigation into how to fix the plane was originally expected to be finished by the fall of 2019, but stretched on as new questions about the plane arose. In addition to coming up with a software update to the faulty safety system, problems with the safety of the plane's wiring were discovered. There were also questions about the lack of training for pilots who were moving from the original 737 to the 737 Max, which had been a selling point for the plane.
The investigation also revealed that many Boeing employees were privately expressing doubts about the planes during the original approval process.
"Would you put your family on a Max simulator trained aircraft? I wouldn't," wrote one employee to another during the process in an internal communication revealed during the process. Another employee described the plane as "designed by clowns, who in turn are supervised by monkeys." And another comment added: "piss poor design."
-- CNN's Pete Muntean and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report
...


64x64

Why Mongolia matters to Joe Biden www.mongoliaweekly.org

On a Monday in the late summer of 2011, Joe Biden stepped out of a plane in Mongolia. He was met by then-Prime Minister Sukhbaatar and taken on a whirlwind day that included archery and wrestling. He was also given a horse, which he named ‘Celtic’ for his Irish roots.
He’s since chosen ‘Celtic’ as his Secret Service codename for his presidency, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed in Mongolia. There are high hopes that a Biden administration will be a positive for Mongolia’s relationship with the US.
Vice President Joe Biden and former Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold walk down the red carpet during an arrival ceremony at Ghengis Khan International Airport in 2011. (White House Archives)
In an August op-ed, a former Speaker of the Great State Khural, Zandaakhuu Enkhbold, noted the codename story and said the partnership between Mongolia and the US is ‘one of the most underrated.’
“Both Democrats and Republicans have warmly welcomed us on the Capitol Hill,” Enkhbold wrote. “This was proof that our two countries have grown stronger and closer based on common strategic interests, shared democratic values, and principles of sovereignty. Achieving tangible results from this partnership should be the priority of both our nations’ leaders.”
There are a few reasons why Mongolia’s leaders should be optimistic.
First, Joe Biden has says he wants to try and re-join the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The TPP is now known as the CPTPP – say that five times fast - which is a huge trade deal taking in countries around the Pacific rim. Mongolia isn’t a member, but the lesson here is that Biden believes trade is an important part of international relations.
This is a good omen for the Mongolian trade deal currently sitting in the US Congress, although a Trump re-election wouldn’t necessarily have changed its fortunes seeing as the US has a trade surplus with Mongolia (which was one of Trump’s hobby horses). But unlike Trump, Biden’s leadership is also a good omen for US-Mongolian economic relations beyond the scope of the bill, particularly in green energy.
Second, Biden was vice-president when Mongolia sent troops to Afghanistan in 2009.
This means Mongolian officers would’ve built personal relationships with American commanders who may now have risen through the ranks towards top positions under Biden as commander-in-chief. Those kind of personal relationships matter, albeit in unseen ways.
Importantly, Joe Biden’s likely pick for Defense Secretary is Michele Flournoy. In 2009, she was undersecretary of defense for policy and helped shape the US strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan at the exact same time that Mongolian troops deployed to serve alongside US soldiers. If she’s appointed, Mongolia’s reputation will certainly be well-established in the Pentagon.
Third, Mongolia is becoming more strategically important for the US, no matter who is in the White House.
It is one of the only true democracies in Asia, something Joe Biden pointed out when he visited in 2011. This makes Mongolia a natural partner in American efforts to contain China, and those efforts won’t go away with a Biden administration.
Flournoy has said that the US needs to take a hard line on China, and she’s also said that “America’s best asset in the region is the other nations who can jointly pressure Beijing.”
Mongolia is one of those nations: it is one of China’s top sources of coal, a potential transit route for Siberian energy and a key stop on Beijing’s ‘One Belt One Road’, a huge infrastructure plan to better link China with Europe. It also has the potential to fuel China’s renewable energy future through lithium deposits in the Gobi desert.
Finally, if US relations with China deteriorate, Washington will need a diplomatic ‘back door’ to conduct negotiations with Beijing out of public view. Mongolia would be a strong candidate: it is one of the only countries – possibly the only country – to maintain decent relations with Russia, the US and China at the same time. It is seen as neutral ground, and as the Asia-Pacific becomes more polarized, neutral ground will be a hot commodity.
However, there is one major stumbling block.
Mongolia has yet to congratulate Biden for winning the election. It is one of only a few countries - including Russia, Turkmenistan, Myanmar and Syria - that's stayed silent.
So what's stopping Mongolia? Maybe the country's leaders are waiting for the electoral college to certify the election in mid-December. But this would be globally unusual - even China has called Biden, although it waited a while.
Enkhbold ended his op-ed by hoping for another visit from Biden. There are reasons to believe the wish may be granted - as long as Mongolia quickly picks up the phone and dials his number.
by: Ewen Levick
...


64x64

COVID-19: Local transmission cases reach 47 www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ At 5 p.m., Head of the Surveillance Department of the National Center for Communicable Diseases A.Ambaselmaa provided updates on the latest coronavirus test results.
18 new cases of COVID-19 have been detected as coronavirus tests were conducted on 963 people since 11 a.m.
550 tests carried out at the NCCD were included in it and a hospital worker tested positive for the coronavirus.
4 people were diagnosed with the coronavirus among the tested 348 people in Darkhan-Uul aimag.
13 people tested positive among the tested 59 people in Selenge aimag
The newly detected cases are all the close contacts of the previously confirmed cases or community transmission. Thus, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases stands at 473 at the national level.
Incidentally, 23 confirmed cases have been recorded in the cluster of Selenge aimag, 8 confirmed cases in Darkhan-Uul aimag, one confirmed case in Gobisumber aimag and 15 confirmed cases in Ulaanbaatar city.
...


64x64

All Mongolian banks close amid Covid-19 lockdown www.news.mn

The Mongolian Government has extended the state of public emergency readiness for 14 days until 1 December. These measures came into effect at 06.00 a.m.
During the emergency period, a curfew will be in force inthe Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Therefore, all commercial banks have closedand moved online and to mobile channels.
...


64x64

Mongolian road works planned www.worldhighways.com

Plans are in hand in Mongolia for a series of road development works in the next four years. The programme calls for the construction of 2,022km of surfaced roads. In addition, new concrete bridges will be built under the plans.
At present, a plan is being carried out for 2,000km of roads being built during 2020.
Financing for this new programme will be delivered through a combination of state funding, loans from international sources and by PPPs.
New highway stretches will connect Darkhan with Altanbulag and Nalaikh with Bayan, featuring two lanes in either directions. The 58km road linking capital Ulaanbatar with Uvurkhangai will be improved, as will the 127km route connecting Bayankhongor with Gobi-Altai. Constructill be carried out on the 67km route connecting Tosontsengel and Uliastai.
...


64x64

Five more locally transmitted COVID-19 cases reported in northern Mongolia www.xinhuanet.com

Five more locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Selenge province in northern Mongolia on Tuesday, according to the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD).
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country reached 440, including 27 locally transmitted cases as of Tuesday evening.
Domestic transmissions of the virus have been reported in the capital city Ulan Bator, Selenge province and its neighboring Darkhan-Uul province.
After confirming its first locally transmitted case last Wednesday, the country has imposed a nationwide lockdown to contain the pandemic for two weeks until Dec. 1.
The first case of local transmission in Mongolia was a woman whose 29-year-old husband, a transport driver, returned home from Russia via Altanbulag border point and tested positive for the virus four days after he was released from 21-day mandatory isolation on Nov. 6.
Among the confirmed cases, 329 patients have recovered so far, according to the NCCD.
Authorities of the country have urged the public to stay at home and maintain good hygiene habits. Enditem
...


  • Terms of Reference
  • About
  • Contact Us

Managed by: B2BMongolia www.b2bmongolia.com

Events

News

Facebook