Mongolia is leading the way in safeguarding from money laundering and terrorist financing, further showcasing the country's commitment to combating corruption Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, Kh.Nyambaatar, announced.

Mongolia has passed all 40 recommendations set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), making Mongolia the first in the Asia Pacific region, and the 5th country in the world.

"This is a momentous accomplishment for our government and the country of Mongolia. It demonstrates our commitment in promoting regional security, making us a global leader in this fight," says Minister Nyambaatar.

"FATF is the leading global watchdog for financial crimes. Mongolia takes its recommendations extremely seriously – and we welcome the increased accountability that comes with the adoption of the FATF recommendations. FATF researches how money is laundered and terrorism is funded, promotes global standards to mitigate these risks, and assesses whether countries are taking effective action. In total, more than 200 countries and jurisdictions have committed to implementing FATF's standards as part of a co-ordinated global response to preventing organised crime, corruption and terrorism.

"In particular, the upgrading of 'Recommendation 8' – which looks at the potential for non-profit organisations (NPOs) to be abused for the financing of terrorism - from 'Partially Compliant' to 'Largely Compliant' status, affirms our commitment to a responsible non-profit sector with more transparency in civil society. Mongolia's unique approach to engage civil society in policy development areas to comply with the FATF recommendation shows a commitment to embracing the free speech and liberty of NPOs and demonstrating strong consensus of the government with civil society.

"Mongolia has made significant progress in increasing transparency in 2023, nominated by the government as the 'Year of Fighting Corruption'. Corruption is a predicate crime to money-laundering and other abuses of power, and we are determined to wipe out corruption in our country. Anti-corruption efforts have included the adoption of changes in anti-corruption laws and an anti-corruption strategy, the investigation and prosecution of high-level corruption cases, and the promotion of transparency and accountability in public procurement.

"The Mongolian government will remain assiduous in continuing to root out corruption in the country," Minister Nyambaatar said.

The 26th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Anti-Money Laundering Group took place in Vancouver, Canada on July 9-14, 2023. At the meeting, the Mongolia progress report defense team was headed by the Deputy Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs, B. Solongoo. The Group discussed and approved Mongolia's Progress Report related to the technical implementation of "Recommendation 8" related to non-profit organizations of FATF's 40 Recommendations.

The Financial Action Task Force assesses countries and jurisdictions with the help of nine associate member organisations and other global partners such as the IMF and World Bank. Its 40 recommendations set out a comprehensive and consistent framework of measures in order to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. They set an international standard to prevent these illegal activities and their societal harm.

In Mongolia's case, the assessment of full compliance with the 40 FATF Recommendations is a confirmation from many countries that Mongolia has created a robust legal framework and fully implemented and reflected relevant requirements in laws and regulations through improved regulation.

SOURCE The Government of Mongolia

Bullish predictions for the copper market are not hard to find.

And with robust prices and redhot demand over the past few years, copper mining companies have been raking in cash.

The only thing missing from this scenario is, well, more copper.

There are few major discoveries and even fewer new mines being built – and dwindling production at existing ones.

Worries over supply shortfalls are occupying governments and boards and with the average lead time for a new copper mine well over a decade, copper users are seeking nearer term solutions to avoid a supply crunch.

A new in-depth report by BMO Capital Markets examines the scope of copper demand destruction through thrifting and substitution, an issue that “has become a common thread in discussion” in the industry.

And the numbers in the investment bank’s Coping Strategies for Copper Constraint by analysts Rory Townsend and Colin Hamilton are indeed eye-popping.

BMO says in the absence of any further substitution or thrifting, copper semis demand could reach 40.4 million tonnes per year by 2030. Its prediction of maximum demand is up from 31.8 million tonnes last year, or a 2022–2030 compound growth rate of 3%.

But the say authors there is scope – and already instituted programs by original equipment manufacturers – to use less or substitute copper entirely including in electricity transmission and distribution networks, renewable generation capacity, communication cables, industrial air conditioning units, and the transport sector.

Fear substitution

Through this process, the investment bank’s base case scenario sees the potential of just under 10 million tonnes of cumulative copper semis demand eliminated through 2030:

“Our base case remains that substitution and thrifting occurs in a steady, incremental way that is good for prevailing commodity prices.

“However, there is a growing risk that consumers are starting to design around potential constraints before they arise, particularly in the automotive sector.

“Such ‘fear substitution’ would be a challenge to the longer-term demand thematic and would have the potential to significantly hurt both industry volumes and prices.”

Over 20m tonnes of copper demand could be destroyed through 2030

If the base case expects the market to chug along nicely, under this “fear” scenario of aggressive substitution, BMO expects an additional 11.6 million tonnes of demand is under risk.

That’s 21.5 million cumulative tonnes at risk through to the end of the decade, or put another way, annual demand of 35.2 million tonnes in 2030 (vs the 40.4 million tonnes) or a CAGR of 1.2% (vs 3%).

Al is your pal

Copper is four times as expensive as aluminium right now – a level up from near 1:1 in 2000 and cheap enough to see the metal replacing copper on a consistent basis, says BMO. While aluminium only has around 60% of the conductivity of copper, in many instances its lower weight could make substitution more compelling over and above cost considerations.

Areas that may see thrifting are the greater use of high voltage direct current (HVDC) power lines that reduce metal intensity in transmission networks, the continuing move to fibre optic communications networks, and renewable generation projects, which are are often small enough to be connected directly to the distribution network and utilise lower voltage cabling which also typically requires less metal per kilometre compared to higher voltage cables, according to BMO.

BMO forecasts the combined length of the global electricy transmission and distribution network to reach 110 million kilometres (68m mi) by 2030.

The investment bank sees air conditioning systems as an area most exposed, particularly in industrial applications where substitution is technically viable. The authors point to aircon giant Daikin, which has a target to halve its global copper consumption by the end of next year.

Down to the wires

EVs use substantially more copper than gasoline and diesel-powered cars, but auto and battery makers are hard at work reducing this.

Thinner copper foil is being used in battery cells, the switch to 800V platforms is facilitating the use of thinner cables, the increased penetration of lower specification vehicles as we progress toward mass adoption, combined with the rightsizing of battery packs and electric motors, should all result in a reduction in copper intensity, says BMO.

BMO says the world ex-China averages 69kg of copper per light duty battery electric vehicle and BEVs in China average closer to 50kg, but “any projections that still include the fabled 80kg need to be adjusted.”

Tesla in May said that starting with the Cybertruck, which is in early production, the Optimus robot, and all future electric vehicles, will use a 48V low-voltage system, compared to the 12V system used in most cars.

In traditional 12V systems, wiring and components must be larger and heavier to handle high electrical loads. With a 48V system, Tesla expects a reduction in battery weight and cost savings.

Over 20m tonnes of copper demand could be destroyed through 2030

“First approximation, that means we need only about a quarter as much copper in the car as would be needed for a 12V battery, so that’s a big deal because people often worry about whether there is enough copper,” Musk said.

“Yes, there is.”

Still bullish

BMO takes pains to say “it still believes in the long-term copper thesis and would argue we are still bullish the commodity over the medium term to long term.”

Even under its minimum demand/maximum substitution scenario, the copper market will enjoy positive growth including in non-energy transition related areas like construction, and that is after taking into account the all-important Chinese construction sector:

“Naturally, the future of Chinese property demand is often front of mind when it comes to areas at risk of potential structural decline.

“That said, the focus of stimulus measures and developer focus will likely remain centred on housing completions and shanty town refurbishment, as opposed to new starts, which are typically more copper and aluminium intensive.”

WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Mongolia will deepen cooperation with Washington to mine rare earths, the country's Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene said on a visit to Washington on Wednesday, but he warned that a "new Cold War" between the U.S. and China would harm the global economy.

Mongolia has extensive deposits of rare earths and copper, which are vital for high tech applications including defense equipment and for President Joe Biden's efforts to electrify the auto market to help stave off climate change.

Oyun-Erdene spoke to Reuters after he met Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday and agreed to sign an "Open Skies" civil aviation agreement, among pledges of further economic cooperation.

"We have discussed our potential cooperation in mining rare earths, critical minerals, including copper," said Oyun-Erdene, who spoke through a translator.

Cooperation with the United States, which he called Mongolia's "important strategic third neighbor," on rare earths and critical minerals was already underway, and would be deepened under a memorandum of understanding signed in June between his country's ministry of mining and heavy industry and the U.S. State Department, he said.

Mongolia hopes to have good relations with its neighbor China, which controls most of the world's rare earths deposits, as well as the U.S., but Oyun-Erdene warned that countries like his own, which is landlocked between China and Russia, would suffer if superpower competition boiled over.

"I fear that the new Cold War will be very different and (more) difficult from the first Cold War," he said, pointing to rapid technological change and global problems like climate change. "We cannot bear a new Cold War situation."

He called on major powers to "be more responsible" to avoid "drastic negative effects on many countries around the world, especially the international economy."

Oyun-Erdene said his country was in talks with Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk over possible investment and cooperation in the electric vehicle sector and space, but he would not meet the tech billionaire during this visit.

The Mongolian leader said he planned to visit California and meet Musk and other tech industry leaders on a separate trip, the date of which was yet to be decided.

He drew attention to Musk's interest in the planet Mars, which the billionaire has expressed a desire to colonize.

"One interesting topic that I discussed with Mr. Elon Musk is the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, which has a similar environment to Mars, and I urged him to do some research on this," he said.

Oyun-Erdene is due to visit the U.S. space agency NASA during his visit and is also expected to meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

He called the United States Mongolia's "guiding Polar Star for our democratic journey" and said his discussions would cover "how we can further enhance our democratic values."

Given its border with U.S. adversary Russia, Mongolia has suffered from the fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, including from inflation of goods like explosives for mining, Oyun-Erdene said.

The Biden administration has focused on developing its relationships with countries throughout Asia to counter China's growing might and the so-called "no limits" partnership between Beijing and Moscow.

Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Simon Lewis; Editing by Sonali Paul

Mongolia gets a rare slice of the Washington limelight on Wednesday when Vice President Kamala Harris meets with visiting Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erden.

It’s the first time a Mongolian prime minister has visited the United States since 2018, giving the country — whose population of 3.4 million is smaller than Brooklyn’s and whose 2021 GDP of $15 billion was about a quarter of Rhode Island’s — a platform in the U.S. for a day.

Harris and Oyun-Erden will discuss “our economic and commercial relationship … and a range of regional and global issues, including China and Russia,” said a White House official granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on the record.

The prime minister’s visit aims at “deepening the strategic partnership relationship” with the U.S. by “expanding political, economic, humanitarian and regional cooperation,” the Mongolian Embassy in Washington said in a statement. (He’ll also be meeting with officials from U.S. agencies including USAID and the International Development Finance Corporation).

That’s a bit vague, but the U.S. and Mongolia have some very concrete reasons to talk. Here’s what the meeting is really about:

Getting intel about the neighbors

Landlocked Mongolia is surrounded by Russia and China. That requires the flourishing multi-party democracy to balance cordial relations with Moscow and Beijing while also being able to ink a strategic cooperation agreement with the U.S. and host trilateral meetings with Seoul and Washington in its capital, Ulaanbaatar.

Given Biden administration concerns that China may provide weapons for Russia’s war on Ukraine — and Mongolia’s positioning as a potential transshipment point for such supplies — expect Harris to press Oyun-Erdene for details of his recent contact with the Chinese and Russian leadership.

Oyun-Erdene met with Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in June and “has been having direct communications with Putin as well,” said Amar Adiya, a former official in Mongolia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Canada-based publisher of the investment newsletter Mongolia Weekly. “Washington wants to hear about the conversations they’re having with those neighbors,” Adiya said.

Mongolia has resisted pressure from its neighbors to depart from its official policy of neutrality and align more closely with Moscow and Beijing since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And the U.S. has close links with Mongolia’s military — U.S. forces participated in the annual Khann Quest international military exercise outside of Ulaanbaatar last month. But State Department concerns about the country’s “widespread” corruption and its network of rail and road routes linking China and Russia make it likely that Harris will press Oyun-Erdene for strict vigilance in preventing possible transfers of Chinese weapons to bolster Russia’s war effort.

Mining, and more mining

Mongolia’s huge reserves of minerals including lithium, copper and graphite will likely also come up. That’s because they’re essential to sustainable energy technologies including electrical storage batteries and solar and wind power. And Beijing is trying to secure access to the lion’s share of those materials from Latin America to Zimbabwe and Congo.

The Biden administration sent a delegation to Mongolia in June to talk up U.S. interest in getting a bigger slice of Mongolia’s exports of those materials. The visit didn’t land any deals, but the Biden administration sees Mongolia as a candidate for the Minerals Security Partnership, an initiative with 14 mostly Western countries to bolster sustainable investment in the mining, processing and recycling of critical minerals.

Mongolia “is very resource rich, but it hasn’t gotten the kind of U.S. and international investment that it could and that’s an important reason why the prime minister is visiting,” said Michael Klecheski, U.S. ambassador to Mongolia from 2019 to 2022.

Mongolians will go to the polls in national elections in the first half of 2024. And Ouyen-Erdene likely sees valuable political capital in photo ops with Harris and other senior government officials.

That might include pressing his hosts to express support for the Mongolia Third Neighbor Trade Act. That legislation — most recently introduced in the House in 2021— would boost the country’s economy by allowing duty-free export to the U.S. of some Mongolian apparel and textile products.

For Ouyen-Erdene, his Washington exposure “is very much for domestic consumption — to give more credibility to the prime minister by showing he’s on par with other world leaders,” said Adiya, the former Mongolian diplomat.

Direct flights from the U.S.

Flying from Mongolia’s capital of Ulaanbaatar to Washington, D.C., is a pricey test of long haul endurance. Expedia lists only three such flights, two of which have layover times of 10 to 19 hours.

Mongolia’s government is “really focused on” increasing flight availability and reducing layover times for travelers between the two countries, said Piper Campbell, U.S. ambassador in Ulaanbaatar from 2012 to 2015.

“One of the ways for Mongolia to get out of the realities of being a landlocked country is to increase their air connections — if [Ouyen-Erdene] came home with a commitment to that, or even have a commitment to towards a path towards that, that’s something that would be big for them,” Campbell said.

The Biden administration is listening. Ouyen-Erdene and Harris “will sign an Open Skies Agreement which will facilitate air services between Mongolia and the United States,” the White House official said.

The Mongolian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment on the flight path the prime minister took to get to D.C.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Good afternoon, everyone.

Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to the White House.

PRIME MINISTER LUVSANNAMSRAI: Thank you.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: We have been looking forward to your visit. And we, of course, have a lot to discuss that is about continuing to strengthen the relationship between our nations.

Mongolia has been a reliable democracy and friend in the Indo-Pacific for more than three decades, and the partnership between our countries has helped to ensure stability and prosperity in the region. And the American people have a profound stake in the future of the Indo-Pacific.

As a proud Pacific power, it is in our vital interest to promote an Indo-Pacific region that is open, interconnected, prosperous, secure, and resilient, which is why President Biden and I have each been, since we have been in office, to the Indo-Pacific three times each. And as Vice President, I’m proud that I have met with nearly three dozen regional leaders, here in Washington and in the region, in bilateral meetings such as this one and at multilateral summits.

Since we have taken office, the President and I have made it our intention and focus to reinforce our defense and deterrence commitments and our security presence in the region. We have provided an ambitious and affirmative economic agenda for the region that will deliver growth for the American people and the people in that region. And together with our allies and partners, we have defended international rules and norms in the region and around the world which underpin our security and prosperity.

All of this work in the Indo-Pacific is guided by a key priority of the Biden-Harris administration, which is to strengthen our alliances and partnerships in the region.

Which brings me to the agenda for our meeting today: which will include, Mr. Prime Minister, the work that we will continue to do to strengthen the strategic partnership between the United States and Mongolia; the work that we will do and continue to do together to work on global challenges, which, of course, include the climate crisis but also the importance of upholding democracies and human rights; and, of course, addressing the threats to international rules-based order.

Today, I am pleased to announce that the next steps in our work together will be about further expanding our partnership. In particular, we will discuss the work that we will do together to strengthen our space cooperation. You and I spoke briefly about the beginning of the next era — and, for you, what that means, in terms of your leadership and your vision for the future. And certainly, strengthening our space cooperation would be a part of that agenda — including, of course, using our space cooperation to think about how we strengthen the economic prosperity and development of our nations.

We will also sign an Open Skies Agreement, which will open the door to direct flights between the United States and Mongolia.

And we will increase support for cultural exchanges, including the — the work that you are doing in terms of English language education in Mongolia.

And together, we will also discuss the work we will do to support Mongolia’s efforts to drive economic-sector and private-sector economic engagement and investment in your country.

All of this reflects the commitment that the United States has to our friends in Mongolia and in the region.

And again, I welcome you, Mr. Prime Minister. And I look forward to our conversation.

Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER LUVSANNAMSRAI: Thank you so much.

Thank you, Vice President Harris, for kind — of your words. And thank you for hosting me —

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Of course.

PRIME MINISTER LUVSANNAMSRAI: — and my delegation to the White House.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER LUVSANNAMSRAI: So, it’s a great honor to meet you, the first female vice president in U.S. history.

Our two countries established diplomatic relations — 1987. Since that time, our bilateral relationship has grown from strength to strength. Mongolia is best known as the birthplace of Genghis Khan and for the great history of Mongolian Empire and green landscapes and never-ending blue sky.

In 19- — 1990s, the people of Mongolia voted for democracy and the market economy. And we are very proud Americans regard us — an oasis of democracy for us. So — and, for us, United States is not only our strategic third neighbor, but also the guiding North Star on our democratic journey.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank American people for their continued support and commitment to democratic reforms, and for the progress of market economy, and respect for human rights and freedom.

The past 30 years, our democratic journey hasn’t been easy. But Mongolia has been and will always be moving forward.

Nelson Mandela once said, “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” Mongolia will keep dreaming and keep fighting for our democracy, and we will do everything we can to achieve our goals of Vision 2050 for next 30 years.

I’m looking forward to having very open and constructive talks with Vice President Harris regarding our strategic partnership, which forge closer links between our two nations and people. We will discuss about high-tech solutions, including space and AI, and share our insights about global issues, such as climate change and geopolitical issues.

During my visit, I am pleased that Mongolia and U.S. will issue joint statement strategic third neighbor partnership, and we are going to sign an economic cooperation roadmap. These strategic documents will play a significant role in expanding our trade and economic cooperation and attracting more investment from the U.S.

Mongolia economy, you know, mainly based on mining sector. We have great potential in copper. Soon, Mongolia will become one of the four largest copper producers in the world. Our copper from the Oyu Tolgoi mine will not — benefit not only Mongolia but also the world because — and because high-tech solutions is part of our commitment for fight against climate change.

We also have great potential in non-mining sectors, such as tourism and creative industries; green energy; agriculture, including cashmere; and transport and logistics.

I am very glad that U.S. commitment to supporting us and our economic — diversifying our economy. Mongolia is landlocked but not mine-locked.

Mongolia is one of the over 40 landlocked countries in the world. We face great challenges in terms of transport and logistics. We seek your support raising these issues in the international stage.

We will sign the Open Skies Agreement you mentioned between Mongolia and U.S. I am excited that we are going to commence direct flights, our two countries, Q2 2024. It’s going to be great opportunity to promote tourism and trade, business and investment.

We have taken many steps to improve our legal environment and for investment and private-sector partnership, including constitutional reforms and digital transformation and fight against corruption.

Mongolia has just legislated for English as (inaudible) foreign language in secondary education. There were some challenges; it took more than 20 years to make this decision.

We are confident that it’s significant step to support education for our next generation. These achievements can only be sustained through partnership with longstanding democratic countries, such as the U.S.

In this regard, my government and Google will sign landmark agreement to promote education and digital transformation in Mongolia next — this week.

I am pleased to be here on my first official visit to the U.S. as the prime minister. I have fond memories of my time studying in the U.S. It’s great to be back.

Yesterday, I walked around Georgetown, where I — I used to live in a dorm.

So — and I look forward to catching up with some of my friends. Next time, I hope to visit Cambridge and drop by Harvard Kennedy School.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: (Laughs.)

PRIME MINISTER LUVSANNAMSRAI: I hope that history will record my visit this week as the start of a new chapter in our friendship and the strategic partnership.

Madam Vice President, thank you again for your kind hospitality and look forward to welcoming you in Mongolia. Thank you so much. It’s great honor for us.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Thank you. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER LUVSANNAMSRAI: Thank you. Thank you so much.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Thank you. Welcome. Thank you.

I’m going to admit from the start that I have never read a travel blog before. In fact, I don’t read blogs in general. But this little adventure of mine was such a moving experience that I feel uncharacteristically obliged to commit it to writing… So if you find this tale wanting, know that I am no blogger. ^.^

Why Mongolia? An oasis of democracy landlocked between Russia and China on the other side of the world to me… Well, there is a group of talented musicians who are entirely responsible for this. They are called The Hu, and their music is amazing! They blend traditional Mongolian music – such as throat-singing and the Horse Head Fiddle – with western Rock/Metal, and if you haven’t heard this combination before – YOU NEED TO! In the years since I discovered them, I have seen them live three times and each performance was as epic as the last! Without trying to sound pretentious, there is something almost spiritual about being blasted in the face with heavy rock guitars and that guttural ooOoAaaHhh of the throat-singing at the same time. If they return to the UK, my presence is guaranteed. And, as a result of becoming a HU-ligan, coupled with a mega-dose of lockdown-induced boredom, I developed an interest in Mongolian culture and history. I decided that if I ever found the money for the flights, I would visit the country one day. The flights are incredibly expensive from the UK, and as a single-parent living on a very limited income, I believed I was unlikely to be able to do it in the near future. For the time being, the internet was my ‘fix.’ Which leads me to a very relevant part of this adventure…

I rarely join fan-groups on social media, and I also tend to avoid metal fan-groups in particular. Whilst most metal-heads in real life are some of the most amazing people I know, toxic masculinity and gate-keeping are rife on metal fan groups on social media; where anonymity offers a shield from consequences. The Hu Official International Fan Group, however, is one of the friendliest and fun fan groups I have ever come across. Founded by an American named Larry – and subsequently adopted as the official group for the band – it currently has over 60,000 members and is a pretty busy group! The nice atmosphere meant it quickly became one of my favourite places to hang out in on social media, particularly during the dreary lockdown months. I made some awesome online-friends, including Larry, and he invited me to join the Admin team running the group. At the time, I was unemployed thanks to COVID, so this little job helping my favourite band was a sanity-saver to say the least! I’ve become very fond of my colleagues – a fellow Brit named Joe, Perri from Canada, and ‘Shongi’ from Mongolia – and call them my Hu brothers. I’ve been friends with them all for about four years now, and because Shongi has taught me so many things about Mongolia in that time, I began affectionately calling him my ‘favourite Mongolian teacher.’

Things are a little different now than when I first began working for the group. I have a wonderful partner (Chris) who has been fully indoctrinated *cough* I mean…uh.. convinced….into sharing my love of The Hu and all-things Mongolian. He was my ‘roadie’ and chauffeur when I interviewed Jaya at their Cardiff concert in 2022. He buys me Hu merch to make me smile. He took me to see them in Bristol in 2023 and just generally indulges my fan-girling! I never imagined that he would indulge me so far as to suggest that we went to Mongolia together as a family – me, him and my son. But he did! We booked the flights in early 2023 and when I told Shongi what we had done, I pretty much squealed the news at him! Is it possible to fan-girl about a country too…….?

Of course, being the wonderful human that he is; Shongi insisted on helping us plan the trip. He very generously offered his apartment for us to stay in, and said he would take time off to show us around. Our plans nearly got completely hampered when his health took a turn for the worse, and he was in hospital for a long time. But to my sincere relief, he made a great recovery and so our plans got back on track. All I had to do was wait until July 1st…

It’s not possible to fly directly from the UK to Mongolia. However it was possible to get connecting flights if we flew there via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. If you’re a Turkish Airline employee hoping to read a good review, turn back now. Our flight to Istanbul left London very late, so we missed our connecting flight. There wasn’t another flight to Ulaanbaatar that day, or the next day, so we lost two days of our holiday being stranded in Istanbul. We were driven to a hotel that was over an hour’s drive from the airport. We were exhausted, hungry, and thoroughly p*ssed off. Our fellow hotel guests were pretty much all in the same position as us – stranded due to flight delays. So I quickly learned that Turkish Airlines seem to have a major problem with getting people to their destination on time. If I ever visit Mongolia again, I will never do it with Turkish Airlines again. Between this and the nasty way they treated me on the way home, they can can take a long walk off a short pier.

So instead of arriving in Ulaanbaatar on the 2nd as we were supposed to, we had a look around Istanbul instead. Whilst I was thoroughly displeased with being stranded there, it was nice to get to visit the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. I love Turkish food, so there was that too. Happily, the country is much nicer than the airline.

On the 3rd of July, we finally made our way to Mongolia. Turkish Airlines managed not to screw it up this time, and I was relieved to be able to tell Shongi that we were actually on our way! Due to the time difference and the eight-hour flight, we would arrive on the morning of the 4th July. (Quiet, colonials!)

I could have built the Hagia Sofia myself faster than it took the luggage carousel to deliver our bags after we landed. Though I admit my impatience was mostly due to how excited I was by then. Four years of online friendship, and I was finally getting to meet Shongi in real life for the first time! Chinggis Khan international airport isn’t overly big, so finding him in arrivals was pretty easy! – And thus, a hug four years in the making happened…

Suffice to say, my grumpiness at Turkish Airlines was eradicated and I was now in “Deep Joy” mode. Though I would once again like to apologise to Mongolia for bringing the British weather with me. It was an Eternal Grey Sky that day.

Shongi’s car was an amusing experience. Knowing that Mongolians drive on the right-hand side of the road, I went to the right-hand side of his car to get into the passenger door. Except…. The steering wheel was there. Shongi explained to me that most vehicles in Mongolia are Japanese imports – and they drive on the left in Japan. For those who know me and my uncanny ability to make a pun out of nowhere, it will come as no surprise that it took me less than fifteen minutes to inflict this ability on Shongi.

“So there’s no Mongolian cars?”

“Nope. Mostly Prius’s.”

“Mongolia needs it’s own vehicles. And they should call them Chinggis Cars….”

I’ll show myself out.

As we were all exhausted from the flight, this day was not to be a particularly adventurous one. It took us several hours to get to Shongi’s apartment because the traffic in Ulaanbaatar is ungodly. I will never complain about London traffic again. Ever. And the potholes should be renamed to ‘chasms.’

I aged in that traffic.

But we did visit the State Department Store, which contains a shop that any Hu fan is familiar with – the Hunnu fashion store! This was high up on my list of places to visit, so we had a good look around there. Shongi took us grocery shopping after a lunch of Buuz and Tsuivan (traditional Mongolian dishes for the uninitiated) and we had an early night to sleep off the travel exhaustion.

The next day was pretty busy, starting off with a visit from my friend, and favourite Mongolian YouTuber, Battur! (YT: @Hachapuri). I’ve been friends with him online for a couple of years so it was pretty cool to meet him in person too!

Next we went to visit Ganaa Bogts, who makes The Hu’s bespoke leather merchandise. We met him at his office and he showed us around, explaining all the UNESCO awards and cultural preservation work that he does. He showed us how to play the Jaw Harp, which I absolutely sucked at! But Chris did pretty well…

Ganaa Bogts Office with Shongi

Ganaa then showed us around the workshop where the merchandise is made. I have no idea how to make anything from leather so it was pretty interesting seeing all the various tools and machines they use! Ganaa also completely spoiled us with generosity by giving us several gifts, including a beautiful knuckle-bones game in a gorgeous leather case. And if that wasn’t generous enough, there was one gift in particular that was so amazing I was rendered pretty much speechless! The Hu’s producer, Sir Dashka, made a limited number of handwritten lyrics to Yuve Yuve Yu – Ganaa had the last remaining one and gifted it to me. I am rarely speechless, but that did it. Even though it is now framed and proudly displayed in my home, I still can’t quite believe it! If you are reading this, good Sir, I thank you so much once again!

Me and Ganaa

Our final outing for the day is best described as me having the ultimate fan-girl experience. We were able to visit Sir Dashka at The Hu’s studio – and to say I was excited is the understatement of the century! The band themselves were on tour in Europe at the time, so they were not present. But being in their studio and seeing for myself where the magic happens was just brilliant. Sir Dashka showed us around the studio and took pictures with us, and we were able to sit and chat with him for a little while. We also got a sneak peak at two new instruments for The Hu! They are just so beautifully crafted and I can’t wait until their images are released because they really are something special and the other Hu fans are gonna love them!! Of course, I have no pictures myself for obvious reasons. But here’s one of me and Shongi with the mastermind behind The Hu himself! I’m so honoured and humbled that he took he time to see us! As fan-girl experiences go, this one was magnificent!

***

We had a chilled morning the next day as we were still feeling the effects of long-haul flying. Shongi took us to a well-known Chinese restaurant called Yu Long for lunch, and we stopped off at Gandan Monastery afterwards.

The monastery itself is beautiful, and outside there are so many pigeons it would rival Trafalgar Square! There is even an elderly lady selling seeds! (Not for tuppence, though…) Chris was mobbed by so many hungry pigeons that we decided he must have been a Pigeon God in a previous life. Pigeon silliness aside, the most beautiful coincidence happened. Last year, at London Naadam, my son made friends with a boy called Orgil, who taught him to wrestle and convinced him to enter the kids wrestling competition – in which he came third! Whilst filming a pigeon perched delicately on Chris’s head, I heard a young voice call my son’s name, followed by my son shouting “MUMMY IT’S ORGIL!!!”

Eating khuushuur together

Orgil’s family, who normally live in London, were visiting family in Mongolia and one of their relatives runs a gift shop outside the monastery. Stopping here wasn’t actually on our itinerary and was a hastily-made decision as we were passing it! Myself and Orgil’s parents were blown away by the coincidence – and we’ve now swapped contact details because this friendship was clearly meant to be! It’s wonderful watching your child make core-memories..

Later on, we watched the Tumen Ekh Ensemble perform traditional Mongolian music, dance, and contortion. I’ve watched a fair amount of contortionists before, but seeing it live is something else! As a parent, it was funny as heck watching my son’s eyes bulge when the lady supported her entire bodyweight with her teeth!

Shongi took us to the Shangri La Mall afterwards where we had dinner at the ‘Mongolians Restaurant.’ And it was here that we discovered that my son is addicted to Tsuivan.

***

So that was enough of the city. One cannot possibly go on holiday to Mongolia and not experience the countryside. As much as I had thoroughly enjoyed the city adventures, I was itching to get out of the city and see the Steppe!

Shongi took us to a nomadic homestead about an hour’s drive from Ulaanbaatar. I knew I would enjoy the views, but I honestly did not expect them to take my breath away like it did. Oh, if my teenage self could see me… I can remember groaning and eye-rolling at the ‘boring’ views on family holidays… A very different story now! You could have just left me there..

The homestead itself was a wonderful experience. My son and I rode on a Yak, and he got to ride a camel too. We watched a migration demonstration which is a fascinating display of human ingenuity and animal patience. We watched how they cut the sheeps wool and how they make it into felt for the Gers. We also went inside Gers where we tried Aruul and Airag, and were treated to a performance of traditional Mongolian music by the local nomadic band. Hearing throat-singing through headphones or speakers is one thing, but hearing it live only a few feet away from you is so much more fun! I found that as with opera singers, you don’t appreciate how loudly they can sing until you’re right next to them doing it.

After a traditional Mongolian lunch (above), we went horse riding. This is another thing which cannot be missed out on a holiday to Mongolia. It wasn’t my first time on a horse, but I can still count the number of times I’ve done it on one hand. So I am by no means “experienced.” But it was a vastly different experience to anything I’d done before, and not least because I had never been to the Mongolian Steppe before…

I don’t think any words in my language could adequately describe the freedom of being on the Steppe either on foot or on horseback. “Not a care in the world” is close.. Well, my reveries were occasionally interrupted because ten-year-olds seeing a horse do a massive wee do giggle quite loudly. But that aside, this experience was pretty magical.

OK I laughed too.

On the way home, Shongi got me to do some of the driving. I wanted to drive in Mongolia at least once to say I’d done it, and as we were out of the city, it was a good opportunity. I’ve driven in Europe, America, and the Middle East before, so I’m no stranger to “foreign” driving. I also hold a bus and a truck licence, so it’s fair to say I’m a confident driver. I had no trouble driving us back towards the city for around forty five minutes or so, but I did, however, draw the line at driving in the city. Noooooooo thank you.

***

The next day, Shongi took us to Terelj National Park and we visited Turtle Rock and Aryabal Temple. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

As with the homestead, the views were just amazing. The temple, both inside and out, is a work of art. Before we left, I got to hold an eagle and my son held a buzzard. I presumed it would be reasonably heavy but my goodness! I couldn’t do it for overly long, and not least because my arms resemble twigs. But as cool social media photos go, I have to admit this one is pretty badass.

***

The next part requires a little explaining. A few years ago, I met Julie Veloo, the founder of The Veloo Foundation in Mongolia, through The Hu’s fan group when Jaya accompanied her on a charity horse ride. I love her work. The foundation provides daycare facilities for children living in extreme poverty in Mongolia, and my BattleBots team mates and I ran a fundraising campaign to send robotics kits out to her kids in 2021. Julie and I have often chatted online and we really wanted to meet while I was in Mongolia. To make this happen, Shongi took us to a local Naadam festival in Erdene Soum which Julie was attending.

Meeting Julie was awesome! And it was also nice to be able to experience a local Naadam celebration. Although I was very much looking forward to the grand celebrations in the city, local ones offer a more intimate experience.

But do not ask about the ‘toilet’…

On the way back from Erdene Soum, we checked off another one of my bucket-list items: the Chinggis Khan Monument. 40 metres of steel grandeur! I honestly can’t say whether the view of it, or the view from it was superior. Both were spectacles in their own right.

For the nerds: it is the world’s tallest equestrian statue.

***

The next day, we headed a little way outside of the city for the horse-racing. The site where it takes place has all kinds of food and entertainment tents, bouncy castles and amusements for kids, and horses everywhere! It was here that we tried khorhog (lamb cooked in a container with hot stones and water). Which leads me to a side story: When I saw The Hu play in Bristol in June, I got to talk with Temka for a little bit after the show. He knew I was going to Mongolia and told me that khorhog was a must-try! I asked for other recommendations too, particularly restaurants – to which he answered “Ah, but I love my Mum’s cooking the best!”

Owing to this conversation, I told Shongi that this was something I really wanted to try! So I was delighted when he found a place. I will thank Temka again for the recommendation because it was yummy!

I know very little about Mongolian horse-racing so I’ll leave that to people with better knowledge than me. But it’s pretty fun seeing the horses go thundering past!

I tried some archery and I sucked at that worse than the Jaw Harp. The words of my darling dearest should sufficiently sum up my performance:

“I think you hit a worm…”

The photos look cool though.

As I have now tried archery and horse-riding, I have done two of the three national sports of Mongolia. This leaves only wrestling to go.

…….which I did not attempt. My back is probably grateful.

***

The next day was the opening ceremony at the Naadam stadium in Ulaanbaatar. It’s quite something seeing horses and motorbikes parading around a stadium! The music was great, and not just because they played The Hu! There were some other singers which I recognised such as The Baatar. The whole thing was about two hours long and was great from start to finish. Although I’m sure all of the performers would have appreciated it if I hadn’t brought the British weather with me again..

Though it wasn’t originally on our schedule, I mentioned to Shongi earlier in the week that I’d love to visit Bandga’s Tattoo Parlour. Bandga does The Hu’s tattoos and is the most famous tattoo artist in the country. I didn’t expect that he would have the time, especially at short notice, but Bandga was happy to have me visit and get a tattoo! I can tell you it was a real honour getting a tattoo by this lovely, and incredibly talented man! And as if it wasn’t special enough already, Bandga gifted me the tattoo! In the words of Shongi: “Mongolian hospitality at it’s finest!”

Morin Khuur (horse-head fiddle)

We headed out to Aglag Temple after I got tattooed. There’s a hiking trail up to it which is adorned with rock sculptures of animals from Buddhist legends, and they’re fascinating. Like Aryabal Temple, this one was another work of art both inside and out – and the view from up there was just breathtaking. I will let the photos speak for themselves again…

***

The next day, we had a break. We never fully recovered from the jetlag, and doing activities every day took it’s toll. So a well-earned rest was in order! But our final activity day involved visiting the brand new Chinggis Khan museum and Sukhbaatar Square. (Parliament square)

I have limited photos from the museum because they had a confusing photo policy. Some displays allowed photography while others didn’t, and the enforcement of the policy was varied. So in the spirit of not getting told off, I didn’t get my camera out much. I did, however, get a photo of the door handles, which are swords!

And the giant cashmere painting of the man himself…

And a few photos from Sukhbaatar Square…

We also visited the post office and bought some Hu stamps to take home, along with some extras for other Hu fans to win as prizes in competitions on the fan group. You can’t buy them anywhere else, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help share some with other fans!

Alas, this was our final day and the adventure must come to a close. The less I say about the flights home, the better it is for Turkish Airlines. I will seriously never fly with them again.

Saying goodbye to Shongi was the hardest part. His generosity and hospitality towards us was outstanding. We could not have had this awesome adventure without him and I really cannot thank him enough for all he did for us. I am going to miss him terribly.

And yes, I have apologised for the Chinggis Cars pun.

Bite me.

Coming home to my own bed and a British cup of tea was very welcome, but it didn’t take long for the comedown to kick in. I miss the views, the music, the warm welcome everywhere we went, and of course, Shongi. I sincerely hope that I will see him again. I’ve been calling him my Hu brother for a while but it has so much more meaning now. One day, dear friend…

For now, I will remember Mongolia fondly and I will forever dream in colour.

The volume of goods handled by Ganqmod Port, the largest highway port on the China-Mongolia border, hit nearly 20 million tonnes in the first seven months of this year, up 172.61 percent year on year.

Notably, the port handled more than 19 million tonnes of imported coal during the period, a surge of 188.55 percent year on year, said the port administration on Tuesday.

Last year alone, the port completed the customs clearance of over 19 million tonnes of goods, more than twice that of 2021. Since the beginning of this year, it has adopted intelligent and streamlined customs clearance measures in a bid to further improve its efficiency.

Situated in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ganqmod Port is a major energy import channel for the country and an important hub on the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor.

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ankhbayar Nyamdorj received Ambassador Patricia Danzi, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Director General of the Swiss Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Swiss Agency for international cooperation.

During the meeting, they discussed the relationship between the two countries and further cooperation in the fields including economy, banking, finance, e-transition, climate change, energy, disaster management, and humanitarian cooperation. With the funding and support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, numerous important projects and programs worth more than CHF 200 million have been implemented in Mongolia, which made valuable contributions to the social and economic development of Mongolia, underscored State Secretary N. Anhbayar, expressing gratitude to SDC.

He also stressed the importance of implementing mutual visits and enriching bilateral relations in economic context within the framework of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year.

Ambassador Patricia Danzi noted that Switzerland pays attention to expanding relations between the two countries, intensifying economic cooperation. She also pointed out that the country gives emphasis to cooperation in the fields of climate change, e-development, culture, and humanities.