As a part of the “Project for Supporting Bosnian Farmers of Peja with Equipment for Production of Milk and Dairy Products”, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided machines used in the production of milk and dairy products to the farmers in Peja and Istog Municipalities in Western Kosovo.

Emilija Rexhep, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo for Minority Issues and Human Rights; Fulya Aslan, TİKA’s Coordinator in Pristina; and producers attended the delivery ceremony.

At the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Rexhepi stated that she is more than glad to participate in such an event in which TİKA supports the projects of the members of minority communities in Kosovo. Expressing their hope that producers will better organize their works with support from TİKA, Rexhepi said, "I would like to congratulate all of you once again on the project in hopes that we, as the Government of Kosovo, will maintain our partnership with the Turkish government institution TİKA."

TİKA’s Coordinator Aslan also explained that TİKA has carried out various projects in this field to meet the need for food of the people of Kosovo, enhance the agriculture and livestock sector which has a critical position in the country’s economy, and improve the conditions of production.

Drawing attention to the issues due to the inadequacy of animal and agricultural products for the increasing global population and the lack of food security in products, Aslan said, "Today, we aim to allow the production of healthy milk and dairy products, that are processed with modern and sanitary methods through the milk cooling tanks and the equipment for the production of dairy products which we will provide to our dear farmers, and therefore to ensure quality production and food security."

As a part of the project, 10 farmers were provided with machinery used in the production and storage of milk and dairy products.

Mongolia is a landlocked country uneasily poised between China and Russia. The Pope’s historic trip may be a diplomatic opportunity as well as a pastoral visit to one of the world’s most remote Catholic communities. -- In March, the new head of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia was announced. At a large gathering of monks in Dharamshala, the north Indian Himal-ayan town where the Dalai Lama has been based since 1960, a year after he took exile in India after fleeing China, he indicated that the small boy sitting next to him was the tenth reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu. It was an event of considerable political as well as religious significance. The Jebtsun-damba is considered the third-highest spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism globally — after the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama himself. Mongolia is economically dependent on neighbouring China, which has made clear its disapproval of unauthorised reincarnations of Buddhist lamas within its own territories.

The announcement of the reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba by the Dalai Lama is being followed six months later by another significant religious event with political overtones. On 31 August Pope Francis is due to arrive in the capital Ulaanbaatar for a four-day visit, following an invitation from the Mongolian President, Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, in August 2022. It will be the first visit of a Pope to Mongolia, though John Paul II made known his wishes to visit in 2003. It follows the nomination of Fr Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, as a cardinal in August 2022. A little more than half of the 3.3 million population of Mongolia is Tibetan Buddhist; only 2 per cent is Christian (most of them Protestant). According to Aid to the Church in Need, the remainder of the population is 39 per cent atheist, 3 per cent Muslim and 3 per cent Shaman.

The Pope plans to visit the small Catholic community of under 1,500 baptised native Mongolian Catholics. He will speak with Mongolian authorities, open the House of Mercy charity centre, which will provide assistance for the poor and shelter for women fleeing domestic violence, and preside at an ecumenical and interreligious meeting. The trip is the latest sign of Pope Francis’s determination to support small Catholic communities in regions beyond North America and Europe and his desire to encourage the reinvigoration of the Church’s missionary activity in Asia and Africa. His arrival in Ulaanbaatar also illustrates Mongolia’s complex and delicate geopolitical position. This landlocked country’s other neighbour is Russia, embroiled in its conflict in Ukraine. The Church of the East has had a presence in Mongolia since the seventh century. The Catholic Church was first introduced in the thirteenth century, during the Mongol Empire, but disappeared with the ending of Mongol dominance in the Far East. It would not reappear until missionary activity began in China in the mid-nineteenth century and a mission was founded in Mongolia. This ceased when the communist Mongolian People’s Republic was established in 1924. After the collapse of communism in the early 1990s there was a smooth transition to democracy, and religious freedom established itself, allowing for the return of Catholic missionaries.

In 1992 the Vatican established diplomatic relations with Mongolia. This return of Catholicism and its previously small-scale presence in the country has meant, in the words of Cardinal-designate Marengo, that “at a popular level, it is believed that it is something new, which has come from abroad”. However, Catholicism since 1991 has slowly developed and blended itself within local communities. A Catholic bible in Mongolian script was published, a Verbist Centre for street children was established, and in 2016 Joseph Enkh Baatar became the first indigenous priest from Mongolia in a millennium. The growth of the community, especially in Ulaanbaatar, owes much to the rapid urbanisation rate of a city with a population three times as large as its infrastructure was built to shelter.

The cramped conditions, brutally cold winters, high pollution, unemployment, and alcoholism which has often been associated with domestic abuse have created social problems that Catholic charities have sought to address. However, to this day there is only a tiny number of baptised Mongolians in the Catholic community, alongside many more worshippers from the Philippines, South Korea and elsewhere. Tibetan Buddhism is by far the most significant religious community in Mongolia: ethnic Mongolians outnumber ethnic Tibetans among Tibetan Buddhists globally. Shamanism remains reportedly widespread in Mongolia, though the difficulty of defining shamanism, with its strong integration with aspects of Buddhism and Mongolian culture, make the precise numbers hard to pin down.

Buddhism is not the official religion of Mongolia but it is acknowledged as being of “civilisational importance” to the state and has had an identity-informing role for ethnic Mongols during their history, especially post-1991. Mongolia’s government has in general remained aloof from “temple affairs”. This arm’s length approach is being challenged by the geopolitical complexities raised by the reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, given China’s heavy involvement in Mongolia’s economic, political and religious affairs. Mongolia shares a land border of 4,700km (2,920 miles)with China and more than 4 million ethnic Mongols live in China’s Inner Mongolia region, though they remain under 20 per cent of the population of the province.

Mongolia has significant natural resources that China manufacturing-based economy needs, and almost all Mongolia’s exports go to China. It is thus wary of being dragged into disputes with Beijing over religious matters. China’s role in Tibetan Buddhism is complex. The political activism of the Tibetan diaspora under the leadership of the Dalai Lama is a major irritant for Beijing. This movement pits Tibetan nationalism against the Chinese desire to maintain control over the Tibetan plateau. In 2007, China’s State Administration of Religious Affairs issued an order requiring official registration and Chinese government approval of all reincarnations of Buddhist lamas. Beijing also supports pro-Chinese Mongolian Buddhist movements and has ties to Mongolia’s historic Amarbayasgalant monastery.

In 1995 the Dalai Lama’s candidate for the Panchen Lama disappeared; three days later he was replaced by a candidate selected by Beijing. Then in 2016 the Dalai Lama visited Mongolia, when he is now believed to have identified the new Jebtsundamba, after which it is reported that Beijing imposed damaging fees on transit and commodity imports, exposing Mongolia’s economic dependence. Therefore, the Dalai Lama’s declaration in Dharamshala of the tenth reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba presents a religious and political conundrum for Beijing and Ulaanbaatar. The relationship is further complicated by ingrained Sinophobia within parts of Mongolian society. Anti-Chinese rhetoric has often played a role in domestic politics. Mongolia has complicated historical relations with both its neighbours, while it has bilateral security relations with the US and pursues relationships with Asian states such as Japan and India, Mongolia gets much of its energy from Russia and sells most of its exports to China. It is understandably wary of antagonising either.

The war in Ukraine has brought the precarious geopolitical situation into sharp focus. Mongolia has abstained from UN votes condemning Russia’s invasion, but has refused to criticise sanctions imposed on Russia by the West, even though they have made it more difficult for Russian banks to pay Mongolia for imports. The prospect of a new Cold War with the West facing off against a Beijing-Moscow axis is a major concern.

The Pope is aware of the sensitivities around the Buddhist presence, authority and legitimacy in contemporary Mongolia. He is no stranger to the difficulties of establishing positive relations between religious authorities and the Chinese Communist Party: the Vatican’s 2018 deal with the government in Beijing over the appointment of bishops – intended to bring Chinese Catholics together under a single hierarchy – is under increasing strain. Diplomats say Mongolia might be used as an intermediary with China. Francis’ visit to Ulaanbaatar will provide pastoral support to the Catholic community, revive the historical memory of Christian encounter with Mongolia and potentially begin to chart the contours of a new relationship between the religious authorities and the governments of the region.

BY

Jerome O’Mahony is a freelance writer with a special interest in geopolitics and religion in Asia.

Mongolian businesses operating in the tourism sector have paid MNT 63.6 billion in taxes as of the first half of this year.

If to take tax payments of the tourism sector for the last three years:

- In 2019, 1,320 companies and organizations paid MNT 87.1 billion,

- In 2020, 1,348 companies and organizations paid MNT 47.1 billion,

- In 2021, 1401 companies and organizations paid MNT 65 billion,

- In 2022, 1,637 companies and organizations paid MNT 94.2 billion,

- As of the first six months of 2023, 1,376 organizations contributed MNT 63.6 billion to the state budget.

In the first half of 2023, compared to this period of the last 3 years, the tax revenue of the tourism sector has increased and tends to exceed the previous indicators. In the future, the number of tourists coming to Mongolia will increase, and the tourism industry will have a significant impact on Mongolia's economy, envisages the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

The Government made the tourism sector a priority of the economy and announced 2023-2025 as the "Visit Mongolia Years". This year, a target of "one million" tourists has been set, and so far, more than 390,000 tourists have already visited Mongolia.

Charles Krusekopf provides an overview of Mongolia’s mineral resources, with a focus on its large deposits and growing exports of copper. He highlights the opportunities for cooperation with the United States, Japan, South Korea, and European countries on mining development as well as the challenges Mongolia faces in developing its mineral resources and exporting them to markets beyond China.

Mongolia is one of the largest countries in Asia by land area, and it contains extensive mineral deposits, including copper, coal, fluorspar, gold, iron, petroleum, tungsten, uranium, and zinc. Minerals account for nearly 90% of its exports, and given the country’s geographic location, limited capital, and lack of infrastructure, almost all exported minerals are sold directly to China after minimal domestic processing ....

See the full story on the link https://www.nbr.org/.../mongolias-development-of.../

During its regular session on August 16, 2023, the Cabinet made the following decisions:

Until the legal framework is updated, there will not be any decision on land possession or use in Ulaanbaatar issued

The Government discussed and approved the draft resolution on some measures to be taken in Ulaanbaatar in connection with disaster risk prevention, disaster relief, urban planning and land management.

The resolution stipulates to take measures towards developing drafts of the Land Package Law and other related laws to ensure the balance of human safety, common interests, environment and ecology, green development, economic and social development in respect of the general planning, land organization, utilization, and urban construction of Ulaanbaatar and submitting to the 2023 Autumn Session of the State Great Khural for discussion. Relevant ministers were assigned to develop draft law to operate the Agency for Land Administration and Management, Geodesy and Cartography within the Prime Minister's portfolio and submit it to the State Great Khural along with the 2024 Budget Draft Law. Until the Draft Laws and regulations are adopted, it was instructed not to take any decision on the possession or use of new land within Ulaanbaatar.

It was tasked to study every issue of land possession and use, construction of buildings on special needs land, public domain land, road and network land, forest and water reservoir land, and protection zones thereof in violation of legislation, and undertake measures to organize land release measures in conformity with appropriate laws and regulations.

It was assigned to study issues of relocating families and businesses that have settled in flood zones, charging officials who granted land in violation of legislation, increasing responsibility for settling in the flood protection zone without permission, filling flood dams and canals with garbage and construction debris, and building structures by blocking dams and canals, carrying out disaster risk assessment at the city level by an international specialized organization, considering an issue of taking the land with water reservoirs, streams, and their protection zones for the state special use and submit the draft decision to the Cabinet meeting for discussion.

It was reflected to include in the annual state budget the costs to incur during the stages of disaster prevention, protection, planning and implementation of actions and response measures in disaster situations, ensure preparedness, resolve required investment for strengthening the budget, technique, equipment, and human resources capacity of emergency organizations, improve activities of announcing and reporting natural disaster, delivering signals and warning information.

The Prime Minister will head the National Committee for Urban and Rural Revitalization, Regional Development, Urban Planning and Land Management

The National Committee for Urban and Rural Revitalization, Regional Development, Urban Planning and Land Management will be established within the Prime Minister’s portfolio. Due to continuous rains in Ulaanbaatar, which led to floods along the Selbe and Dund Rivers, and along the Dari-Ekh auto road, putting people's lives, health, and property at risk, it was considered appropriate to sort out the problem of chaotic and unplanned land grant and the concentration of buildings involving scientists, researchers and professionals, and grounding on the research and analysis of international and professional organizations, resolve the issues of land organization, urban planning, and development in an integrated manner.

The Cabinet decided to establish this National Committee in order to sort out the problems of buildings and structures that do not meet the requirements of urban-rural revival, regional development, and urban planning, which are included in the "New Revival Policy".

Within the scope of "Glass" operation, 8404 conclusions of the State Commission were uploaded to www.shilen.gov.mn

The Minister of Digital Development and Communications N. Uchral presented the conclusions of the Operation "Glass" and the State Commission for commissioning buildings and facilities, as well as the information on buildings and their owners at the Cabinet meeting. The Ministry of Construction and Urban Development has uploaded 8404 conclusions of the State Commission covering the years 2008-2023 at www.shilen.gov.mn.

As part of "Glass" operation, last May, it was revealed who, when, to whom, for what reason, for what purpose, and how much land was granted over the course of 23 years. Minister N. Uchral said that the name, composition, and architectural planning information of the State Commission for commissioning buildings and structures has been made public, and all the processes from land granting to the commissioning of buildings and structures are now under the direct supervision of the public.

The Governors of the provinces and Ulaanbaatar were assigned to fully reflect in the unified digital system egazar.gov.mn information on the decrees on granting, cancellation, transfer and extension of land use and possession rights, as well as the information on the conclusions of the State Commission for commissioning buildings and facilities, and the Minister of Construction and Urban Development was instructed to take measures to create conditions for creation and open publication of the unified architecture planning database respectively.

Brief news

Based on the requests submitted by ministries, agencies, provincial Emergency Commissions and citizens to the State Emergency Commission to resolve the expenses incurred in the elimination of damages caused by natural disasters such as fires and floods, the goods and materials to be released from the state reserves are approved, and over MNT 1 billion 820 million will be allocated from the Government Reserve Fund.

The "Agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the Republic of Poland on International Road Transport Relations" signed in Ulaanbaatar on April 25, 2023 was ratified.

Mongolia have stepped up preparations for the reception of foreign tourists after the announcement of 2023-2025 as Visit Mongolia Years. The country aims to ensure economic growth in the tourism sector as a priority for development.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism said that Mongolia plans to host 150,000 tourists from South Korea this year.

32,800 tourists came from South Korea this July.

323,900 foreign tourists visited Mongolia in the first seven months of this year. 129,000 of them were from Russia, 68,800 from South Korea, 52,200 from China, 12,800 from Kazakhstan, 9,100 from Japan, 8,400 from USA, 4,300 from Belarus, 4,200 from Germany, 3,400 from France, 2,800 from Türkiye.

An agreement was signed for the international accreditation of halal and organic certification in Mongolia. The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, and Mongolian National Authority for Accreditation has agreed to accredit Mongolia's organic and halal product certification organizations with the Gulf Accreditation Center (GCC) and the International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS).

This is technical assistance to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to improve Credibility and Conformity Assessment capacity within the framework of the "Export Support" project implemented by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry with the financing of the World Bank.

It has an importance to increase the competitiveness of private sector enterprises in exporting value-added agricultural products in accordance with the requirements of importing countries.

2023-2025 has been announced as "Years to visit Mongolia". Within the framework, the Minister of Culture and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism are going to organize “Nas Summit-2023”, the event of international content creators, in Ulaanbaatar on August 19.

More than 20 international content creators will participate as speakers at the "Nas Summit-2023" event, and the total number of followers of these content creators is about 300 million. They will travel to our country and visit the Nuudelchin Festival 2023 that introduces Mongolian cultural heritage and traditions. In addition, Nas Daily, who has more than 40 million followers on his social media, and his team will participate.

The guests of the event have arrived in Ulaanbaatar.

Nuseir Yassin, the founder of “Nas Daily” will release content on 6 topics about Mongolia. And the first video featuring Mongolian women was released yesterday, and a total of 70 million people have watched it.

This summit will be the big opportunity for local content creators to make international collaboration and to share the same stage with international speakers.

In the forested, snowy mountains of Tsaatan, a herdsman and his family tie his reindeer herd to trees to let them graze. Uvugdorj Delger, 70, is Dukha, but he speaks to the children in the Mongolian language. When asked why he doesn’t speak the Dukha language, he sighs and says only elders like him speak it now.

The Dukha are the last reindeer herders of Mongolia. Many live deep in the taiga of north Mongolia, where temperatures can drop to minus 53 degrees Celsius in the winter and rarely rise above 23 in the summer (a swing in Fahrenheit from 63 below zero to 73 degrees). Although historically related to the ethnic Tuva people, who live in parts of Mongolia, Russia and China, the 427 Dukha of Tsagaannuur soum have their own traditions and speak a distinct variety of the Tuva language.

The pristine nature of the taiga and the rareness of reindeer husbandry persuade a few tourists to endure the bumpy roads — passable only by horse during the summer — to come here, where they can ride reindeer, sleep in traditional Dukha tents, called urts in Mongolian (not to be confused with the Mongolian yurt), and buy handicrafts made from reindeer antlers.

Whatever memorable travel stories they take with them, however, overlooks a difficult reality for the Dukha — one of land, culture and language loss.

With environmental protections encroaching on their traditional territory, and many Dukha increasingly leaving the taiga and assimilating into Mongolian society, Dukha culture could be lost forever in a few generations. “All we have left is our reindeer and our urts,” says Uvugdorj.

However, one Dukha woman is determined to see her culture alive and vibrant again. With no government support, Ulziisaikhan Sodov runs Mongolia’s only museum, and one of the country’s only formal initiatives, dedicated to celebrating Dukha history, language and tradition.

The Dukha Culture and Development Center, a two-story log house built on Ulziisaikhan’s own property in 2016, is in Tsagaannuur soum, the main village near the taiga in Khuvsgul province. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, the center houses a specialized library and artifacts inherited by her family or donated by the community at her request — traditional deels, antlers, leather handicrafts and tools, birch and wooden bowls — all carefully displayed in glass cases.

“When the building for the center was about to finish … I told people that we need things to put in the museum,” says Ulziisaikhan. “Elders brought things they found in their barns that they decided not to throw out as garbage.”

She was the last person who cherished her history and culture.

Her enthusiasm and vitality, typical of those who have led a nomadic life, is palpable. Ulziisaikhan speaks proudly of her grandmother, her greatest inspiration. “[She] was the last person who cherished her history and culture, cooked on a traditional open-fire stove, and never spoke Mongolian language.”

Ulziisaikhan’s next big project is to set up an FM radio station to air content in the Dukha language, but she needs to raise more funds before that can happen. The only government aid she has ever received was from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, which went to the museum’s construction. Donations from tourists are the center’s only source of income, which now is hardly enough to pay for basic maintenance such as heating — there’s no insulation in the building, which is why it remains closed during winter. A fireplace would be too dangerous to the precious objects preserved inside.

When visitors disappeared during the coronavirus pandemic, Ulziisaikhan’s income suffered. She decided to run for local elections in the hopes of securing a salary. (She won, and is now leader of her bagh, the smallest administrative unit in Mongolia.) Still, making money off the objects she collected isn’t her goal. “I don’t feel comfortable showing these items to people like goods in a shop without being able to elevate people’s understanding of what Dukha people were like,” she says.

In 2013, one year after the then-president of Mongolia visited the area for the first time, the government established a monthly allowance for all adults who live in the taiga and herd reindeer; children up to age 18 receive half of the allowance. Currently, the allowance is set at 240,400 Mongolian togrogs (70 United States dollars), and 382 Dukha receive it.

More welcome changes came in 2022, when a Dukha-language program was introduced for the first time in Tsagaannuur soum’s school. Classes are available as an optional course once a week to children in grades four and up. Out of the school’s 560 students, 200 are Dukha, says Sanjaa Myagmar, who was the school principal at the time of the interview. Last year, 98 students enrolled in the language class, including Dukha and Darkhad, a Mongolian subgroup living in Khuvsgul province.

It would have been better if the government developed tourism.

But teachers struggle with a lack of appropriate textbooks — materials come from nearby Bayan-Ulgii province and Russia’s Republic of Tuva, where different varieties of the language are spoken.

“The Dukha used to speak their native language fluently until the early 1990s. Now less than 10% speak it,” Ulziisaikhan says. She laments how little support the government lends to preserving Dukha traditions, and says, for example, that the cash allowance for those living in the taiga should come with an obligation to speak the Dukha language. “It would have been better if the government developed tourism … by effectively introducing what the main culture, food and values of Dukha people were like.”

While that doesn’t happen, she’ll keep fighting to turn her center “into a real museum,” Ulziisaikhan says, modestly. “I want to show the amazing history of how the ancient Dukha people lived in the past and how they do now.”

(source: world crunch)

With China recording its slowest growth in decades, its economic chill threatens to give neighboring Mongolia a serious case of the flu. Resource-rich but undiversified Mongolian economy depends on China for over 90% of exports and could see growth slashed as Chinese demand weakens.

Steel making in China

Mongolia’s impressive GDP growth - hitting 7.9% in Q1 2023 - has been built on supplying coal, copper and other minerals to its giant neighbor.

But with China’s property sector slowing down amid a brewing debt crisis, Mongolian commodity exporters are facing challenges from lower demand and prices. State revenues and foreign reserves are set to take a hit.

And it’s not just commodities. Chinese tourism and investment are important economic sources for Mongolia, but they also pose some challenges and uncertainties. With China’s economy at its most feeble since 1976, we can expect sharp drops in both.

Mongolian firms heavily reliant on Chinese visitors and investments will have challenging times.

The anticipated casino bill, which could have significantly attracted Chinese tourists, is currently pending approval.

There are some silver linings. Declining global commodity prices will ease inflation pressures at home. And reduced Chinese demand could open trade opportunities with third countries. But these positives pale compared to the loss of Mongolia’s main growth engine.

Mongolia’s policymakers have a battle ahead. Fiscal spending may help soften the blow in the short-term, but risks debt concerns.

Maintaining high interest rates seem inevitable to protect the tugrik currency as foreign reserves start falling. Using its sovereign wealth fund could provide breathing room, but rainy day savings only go so far.

In forecasting just 4.5% economic growth in Mongolia this year, the IMF has already baked in significant downside risks from China’s downturn.

But further deceleration may be in store if Beijing fails to course correct.

Mongolia’s lack of economic diversification means it has little insulation from the cold winds blowing from its neighbor.

With prudent policies, Ulaanbaatar can hope to emerge without catching pneumonia. But China’s massive economy sneezing inevitably means its small, export-reliant neighbor Mongolia will get sick. There is no vaccine for this economic flu yet.

BY Amar Adiya