The APO Technical Expert Services (TES) Program engages specialists in a range of topics at the request of member countries for in-country consultancy. TES aims to boost national productivity by providing real-world solutions to problems and assisting member countries and National Productivity Organizations (NPO) in upgrading their technical knowledge and competencies through tailor-made, intensive interventions by experts on diverse productivity issues and challenges. TES projects were recently conducted for Mongolia, Pakistan, and Thailand.

In cooperation with the Mongolian Productivity Organization (MPO), a virtual in-country TES project on Business Continuity and Resilience for SMEs was held 13–15 December 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many SMEs and other businesses closed or nearly closed in Mongolia. Therefore, the MPO found it crucial to provide training to help SMEs stay productive and be prepared for disruptions. One of its new strategies for productivity improvement and promotion is to assist businesses in being more resilient. This TES project focused on providing skills and knowledge on the most effective productivity tools and techniques for SMEs to prepare for and cope with the pandemic or other external threats. It also provided guidance on developing strategies for SME business continuity, helped the MPO prepare training modules on business continuity, and increased public awareness of the need for productivity enhancement in the new normal. A total of 10 participants from the MPO participated, and two resource persons from Malaysia conducted the sessions.

TES project on Business Continuity and Resilience for SMEs

Another digital in-country TES capacity-building course on Heat-tolerant Wheat for Pakistan was organized with the NPO Pakistan, 15–22 December 2021. A total of 45 participants from the NPO and Wheat Research Institute, Faisalabad, participated in the sessions conducted by two resource persons from the USA and UK. Wheat is the major staple food crop of Pakistan, where estimated per capita consumption is about 124 kg/year. High temperature is a major problem for cropping systems in the country, with unexpected spatial and temporal variations causing reduced plant growth and productivity. To cope with this, the NPO and other institutions initiated a capacity-building program to share the latest know-how for enhancing wheat yield and productivity under the evolving climate scenario. The TES project aimed to create awareness among agriculturists and practitioners of changing climatic conditions and their effect on wheat production as well as to enhance wheat yield.

TES capacity-building course on Heat-tolerant Wheat for Pakistan

The Thailand Productivity Institute (FTPI) intends to conduct an impact assessment for the public sector as it is one channel that can incentivize productivity. The APO and FTPI organized a digital in-country TES workshop on Assessment of Socioeconomic Impacts of Government’s Operations, 29 November–3 December 2021. The program covered all aspects of social and economic impact assessment and evaluation for seven participants from the FTPI Research Department with the support of a resource person from Australia. The workshop developed the competency of participants in socioeconomic impact assessment to enable them to conduct future FTPI research on the topic.

On January 19, 2022, the Parliament of Mongolia approved the Foreign Ministry’s appointment of two female diplomats. A long-time diplomat, E.Sarantogos, was appointed as the ambassador to South Korea, and D.Gerelmaa was appointed as the ambassador to Switzerland. Before that, in late December 2021, U.Nyamkhuu was appointed as ambassador to France, marking the first female diplomat to head the Mongolian mission there. As an ambassador to France, her mission also includes strengthening relations with Spain, Portugal, Monaco, and Andorra.

With these appointments, Mongolia officially set its record for the most female ambassadors serving at a given time. Foreign Minister of Mongolia B.Battsetseg Batmunkh – one of Mongolia’s female diplomats herself – stated in a tweet, “In the history of the Mongol diplomacy, Mongolia now has the highest number of female ambassadors, six out of 31 ambassadors”. (diplomat)

Perhaps inhibited by the freezing temperatures, most national team uniforms featured thick windproof down coats and bulky headgear when the athletes entered Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium for Friday night’s Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

There were plenty of dark, neutral tones and colour blocks in line with delegations’ flags – which was fair enough, given the athletes are representing their homelands at Beijing 2022. However, some delegations stood out with vibrant patterns or unique shapes that caught the eye. There are of course no medals for best dressed at the Winter Olympics, but regardless, we were still treated so some spectacular showcases of style.

Indeed, many countries at the Games chose to outfit their athletes in uniforms made by representative national brands. Mongolians costumes made by ‘Misheel Amazonca’, a local brand was named one of the best national team uniforms. Mongolia also chose to go the same route – though their athletes would have been a little warmer than most countries.

In Mongolia, the mining sector makes up 24 percent of the country's GDP, 69 percent of the industrial sector, 77 percent of foreign direct investment and 93 percent of exports. According to last year, total revenue of the state budget was MNT 13,362.3 billion, of which 29.6 percent or MNT 4,114.4 billion was generated by the mining sector alone, reported the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry.

Before the pandemic, Mongolia used to export over 30 million tons of coal annually, but last year it exported 16,138 thousand tons. Despite the decline in the volume of mineral exports, the income from export in 2021 was equal to those of previous years as a result of high commodity prices in the world market and response to the pandemic. For instance, the country exported 36,265 thousand tons of coal and earned USD 2,803 million in 2018, exported 36,604 thousand tons of coal and earned USD 3,079 million in 2019, 28,677 thousand tons and earned USD 2,127 million in 2020, as well as exported 16,138 thousand tons of coal and earned USD 2,779 million in 2021.

In 2021, the price for copper concentrate rose. In 2017, it exported 1,447 thousand tons of copper concentrate and ore and earned USD 1,613 million from it, while last year the country sold 1,283 thousand tons and earned USD 2,900 million.

Eighty-five percent of coal exports go through Gashuunsukhait and Shiveekhuren border crossings, 54 percent of copper concentrate exports -- through Gashuunsukhait and 46 percent -- through Zamyn-Uud border crossing.

Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of Economic Development B.Javkhlan held a meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission Ning Jizhe on February 7.

Organized in the framework of the Mongolian Prime Minister’s visit, the meeting was also attended by Ambassador of Mongolia to China T.Badral, Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar D.Sumiyabazar, and Governor of the Bank of Mongolia B.Lkhagvasuren.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on opportunities to jointly implement large-scale infrastructure projects in the framework of the ‘New Revival Policy’ of the Government of Mongolia, such as the construction of a highway and a two-way railroad en route Altanbulag - Zamiin-Uud, and the construction of railroads at Gashuunsukhait - Gantsmod and Shiveekhuren - Sekhee border checkpoints. They also held an extended discussion on certain projects that are of priority for the side of Mongolia, which include increasing the transport of coal being exported through Gashuunsukhait border checkpoint, introducing a large-capacity transportation method as a part of the efforts to decentralize Ulaanbaatar city and reduce traffic congestion, and constructing a highway around Ulaanbaatar city.

Deputy Chairman of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission Ning Jizhe noted that the projects align with the works to be carried out for the Mongolia-Russia-China Economic Corridor program as well as the Mongolia-China cooperation framework for the mineral, energy, and infrastructure sector and the Belt and Road Initiative, and expressed willingness to support the projects by studying opportunities to jointly implement them.

The two sides agreed to organize a meeting between the corresponding organizations in order to ensure preparatory works and make progress on the projects.

The Ministry of Health reported today, February 8 that 1,100 СOVID-19 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours. In detail, 679 cases were reported in Ulaanbaatar city, with 421 cases in 21 aimags.

Currently, 5,306 people are receiving hospital treatment for COVID-19 whilst 23,235 people with mild symptoms of COVID-19 are being isolated at home. Of the total patients currently undergoing treatment at hospitals, there are 523 patients in critical, and 65 in very critical conditions. In addition, four COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, raising the country’s death toll to 2,059.

As of today, the coverage of 1st dose has reached 69.8 percent (2,269,936), 2nd dose – 66.7 percent (2,170,893) and 3rd dose or a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines – 31.0 percent (1,009,379) of the total population. In addition, 84,092 people (2.6 percent) have received 4th vaccine dose.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – The Alaska National Guard participated in the second iteration of the Airmen-to-Airmen Talks program with the Mongolian Air Force to plan for future training and subject matter expert exchanges.

Hosted by the U.S. Pacific Air Force, the A2AT program develops interoperability, fosters military-to-military relations, and improves bilateral cooperation. The United States and partner nation air forces conduct these engagements to plan for collaborative activities and discuss common goals.

The program is tied to the National Guard’s State Partnership Program, which has paired Alaska and Mongolia as partners since 2003. The National Guard participates with other militaries to support defense security goals via the SPP.

“[A2AT] gives each of our different components the opportunity to learn best practices from each other,” said Chief Master Sgt. Mike Keegan, chief enlisted manager for the 176th Civil Engineer Squadron and participant in the latest engagement in November. “For Alaska Guardsmen, it’s an opportunity to participate in missions outside of their country, outside of their state, that ties directly into their [career] skills training.”

Keegan said the Alaska Guard worked alongside with the Mongolian Air Force on engineering and logistics skills. The Mongolian Air Force is relatively new and uses the partnership to improve efficiency.

Alaska and Mongolia first participated in A2AT in Hawaii in March 2019.

For the 2021 A2AT, U.S. and Mongolian military members participated in five working group topics: exercises and engagements, logistics, professionalization and education, medical, and high-level visit.

Keegan, part of the logistics group, said members discussed best practices, subject matter expert exchanges, airfield operations, security forces and search and rescue. The Mongolian Air Force is particularly interested in rescue capabilities and looks to the Alaska Air National Guard’s search and rescue assets for guidance.

The Alaska Guard and Mongolian Air Force agreed to conduct subject matter expert exchanges and official visits in Alaska and Mongolia.

“Our mission there throughout the Airmen-to-Airmen Talks was to work and develop together,” said Keegan. “We’re not giving them their objectives; we’re there to offer assistance and help train them.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed visited the Mongolia Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020.

Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed got acquainted with Mongolian exhibits, particularly, he was very interested in the work ‘One Day in the World’ by artists N.Sergelen, S.Ganzam, Sh.Sainzul and N.Khosbayar, and a 495-page ‘Danjuur Sutra’ written in Mongolian script in the 18th century.

Last October, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, also visited the Mongolia pavilion.

The expo will be open until the end of March, and as of today, more than 150,000 visitors have visited the Mongolia pavilion.

Following Zijin Mining Group’s recent announcement of a $380-million investment to build a lithium carbonate plant in Argentina and ​​of upcoming investments in gold and copper projects, over the weekend Chinese president Xi Jinping said his country and the South American nation are deepening their financial ties.

In detail, official communiqués from both countries report on a meeting between Xi and President Alberto Fernández in Beijing in which the former agreed to provide Argentina with more than $23.7 billion in financing, of which $14 billion were already approved for infrastructure projects and the rest will be decided for the Belt and Road initiative.

Xi also told Fernández that both countries should implement existing hydropower and railway projects and deepen cooperation in trade, industry, infrastructure, nuclear energy, investment and anti-epidemic efforts.

The idea of promoting green and sustainable development projects, as well as in initiatives related to the digital economy, was also mentioned in the agreement signed between Beijing and Buenos Aires.

Argentina sits within South America’s so-called “lithium triangle” along with Chile and Bolivia. It is the world’s fourth-largest producer of the battery metal and the ninth-largest producer of silver. It also hosts uranium reserves estimated at 30,000 tonnes of proven resources.

With files from Bloomberg News.