World’s number one copper producer forced to tap markets for mine overhaul www.mining.com

World’s largest copper producer, Chile’s Codelco, issued on Monday 10- and 30-year dollar-denominated bonds to secure funding for its multibillion-dollar upgrade projects only five months after saying it didn’t need to raise money this year or next.

The “60 billion Tugriks Scandal” – Selling government post www.news.mn

A sensational trial is due to take place later this week. Popularly known as the “60 billion Tugriks Scandal”, the case involves Ts.Sandui, former chairman of the Citizens’ Representatives Khural (City Council) and MP A.Ganbaatar, a senior figure in the Mongolian People’s Party. They, and others are being charged under the 2002 Special Criminal Law with “organizing a conspiracy to seize state power.”

Nine organizations to receive grants from Australia’s Direct Aid Program www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Nine organizations have received grants from Australia’s Direct Aid Program (DAP) announced by the Australian Embassy in Mongolia. These successful applicants represent a wide range of organizations focusing on health and emergency services, human rights and youth development through sport.

“Our annual direct aid program works with Mongolian organizations and civil society on practical projects to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable, inclusive development”, said Ambassador Dave Vosen.

Projects selected in 2019-2020

1. Integration and rehabilitation of children with disabilities through sports by the Mongolian Para Boccia Federation

The project will empower children with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy across the country through regional awareness raising activities, participation in national competitions and tournaments and in-country training workshops on Boccia sports. The project activities will reach an estimated 5241 children from Ulaanbaatar and the provinces.

2. Economic empowerment of women through green use promotion by Special Centre for Social Protection under City Mayor Office

The project will help extremely poor and homeless women and men in Ulaanbaatar to earn income. The Special Centre for Social Protection will organise skills training to produce and sell cotton bags to replace plastic bags as a part of Mongolia’s policy to promote ecofriendly production and consumption.

3. Improving the Livelihood of the Rural Vulnerable Families through Developing Hydroponic Advanced Technology by Bridge of Health Development NGO

The project will help rural households in Batsumber Soum, Tuv Province to increase income opportunities through piloting a fodder greenhouse farm with advanced hydroponic technology and advocating for using the technology across the soum and nearby areas.

4. Sergelt Mobile Drop-in Centre by Good Neighbour Society

The project will help support homeless and people facing addiction in Ulaanbaatar to access recovery and rehabilitation, social reintegration programs.

5. Strengthening Call-Recall System of Cancer Screening

The project will help the National Cancer Centre improve its screening and register system to enable patients access to services faster and improve monitoring of their condition.

6. Sewing Up Mongolia by Family Agricultural Resources Mongolia

The project will support poor rural women in Uvurkhangai Province to generate job and income opportunities through engaging in an eco-business. They will set up a small scale sewing business to make finished products from recycled waste. The project will also support them to market and sell their eco products.

7. Protection Service in Bulgan soum, Bulgan province

The project will help the province to effectively protect and prevent domestic violence in Bulgan Soum by providing awareness raising activities and training, and establishing a shelter for victims of domestic violence, women and children.

8. Vocational Training Space for Boys in Prison by Christina Noble Children Foundation

The project will help children in prison and provide social integration through access to an improved vocational skills learning environment and training courses.

9. Strengthening Acute Medical Care through Capacity Building in Tsogtstsetsii intersoum hospital and RDTC in Dalanzadgad by MDG 1 Collaborating Centre for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care at MNUMS

The project will help improve the skills and quality of health services at the soums in Umnugovi province through ‘on the job’ place training and medical instrument supplies. The best doctors from Ulaanbaatar will visit the soum hospitals to perform surgery and train local doctors and nurses and provide medical guidelines and handbooks.

DAP is an annual competitive flexible small grants program funded from Australia’s aid budget. Since 2003 DAP has assisted over 100 Mongolian organizations to implement more than 130 projects across a broad spectrum of social and economic sectors, including poverty reduction, health, agriculture, youth empowerment, gender and disability inclusiveness and other social and economic issues important to national and subnational development.

source: mongolia.embassy.gov/au

U.Khurelsukh: Manufacturing steel and reinforcing steel in Mongolia is great success www.montsame.mn

Orkhon /MONTSAME/ Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh visited ‘Beren Metal’ metallurgical plant on September 22.

Exhibition on Tibet opens to promote China-Mongolia ties, friendship www.xinhuanet.com

ULAN BATOR, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition featuring southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region opened at the Fine Arts Zanabazar Museum here on Monday to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and Mongolia and mark the 70th anniversary of the two countries' diplomatic ties.

How India is helping Mongolia’s space flight dreams www.indianexpress.com

Last week, India and the landlocked nation of Mongolia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation and usage of outer space for civilian purposes. An MoU on disaster management was also signed during Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga’s State Visit to India.

Intern'l campus of the University of Seoul to be established in Tuv aimag www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Sports Yo.Baatarbileg received delegates led by Chancellor of University of Seoul (UOS) Soon Tak Suh.

India-funded oil refinery in Mongolia to be completed by 2022-end: Pradhan www.energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com

New Delhi: The USD 1 billion oil refinery being built with Indian aid in Mongolia will be completed by December 2022 and will meet about three-fourths of Mongolian oil requirement, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday. The minister for petroleum and natural gas was speaking at a meeting attended by a Mongolian business delegation led by the country's President Khaltmaagiin Battulga, who is on a five-day visit to India.

"India and Mongolia, enjoy cordial relations and a warm friendship. The historic visit of Prime Minster Narendra Modi to Mongolia in 2015 led to a paradigm shift in India-Mongolia relations. The construction of USD 1 billion oil refinery with 1.5 million metric tonne capacity with Indian assistance is a shining example of our friendship," the minister said.

State-run Engineers India Ltd (EIL) is providing engineering consultancy services for this prestigious refinery project in Mongolia which will be completed by December 2022, and will meet about three-fourths of Mongolian requirement of oil, Pradhan said.

A project of this magnitude will help develop ancillary industries related to refinery and pipeline operations. This would directly and indirectly promote associated economic activities in Mongolia, he added.

The Mongolian President said his visit to India provides opportunities to further broaden and strengthen ties in all sectors.

"During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mongolia, India extended soft loan credit line of one billion dollars for construction of oil refinery in Mongolia. Today we are concluding the construction of roads, railways and power line for the refinery. The construction of refinery provides many opportunities for Mongolian and Indian entrepreneurs," Battulga said.

Cooperation in the field of information and technology is another area to work together, he said.

Elaborating on India-Mongolia ties in the energy sector, Pradhan said, "I understand that the first India-Mongolia Oil and Gas Expo held in May 2019 in Ulaanbaatar, with participation of 30 renowned Indian companies, enabled to explore the possibilities in Mongolia in energy sector."

He further said the mining sector in Mongolia, which accounts for more than one-fifth of the country's GDP, is an attractive area for joint exploration of copper, rare earth metals and gold.

Mongolia has rich natural resources including coking coal and can support India's demand for these resources, he said.

Pradhan also invited Mongolia to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

The ISA was jointly launched by Prime Minister Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015.

It is a major global initiative for contributing to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy.

"Mongolia is blessed with over 250 days of sunshine in a year over its vast and scarcely populated area. We would welcome Mongolia joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which will not only improve renewable energy supplies but also open new business possibilities," Pradhan said.

India-Mongolia Relation www.successinfuture.com

Recently, the Mongolian President visited India. During the visit both the countries emphasized not only the expansion of strategic partnerships but also the conversion of a strategic relationship into the spiritual brotherhood.

The two countries have also signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on Space Cooperation and Disaster Management that will provide a new dimension to the India-Mongolia strategic partnership.
A joint statement on space cooperation would allow “peaceful exploration” of outer space and include remote sensing and weather forecasting services for both the countries.
Both sides took stock of the project to build a Cyber Security Training Centre to be established in Mongolia with Indian support.
The scope of India and Mongolia regular military exercises named “Nomadic Elephant” and “Khaan Quest” is expected to be broadened.
The year 2020 will mark the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia.

Timeline of India-Mongolia Relations
The common Buddhist heritage and civilizations link two countries and peoples.
India established diplomatic relations with Mongolia in 1955 as Mongolia declared India as a “spiritual neighbour” and strategic partner
Mongolia along with India and Bhutan co-sponsored the famous UN Resolution for the recognition of Bangladesh as an independent country in 1972.
The first-ever visit by PM to Mongolia was in 2015 marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia.
Mongolia has been traditionally supporting India in the United Nations and various other international forums.
Mongolia voted in favour of India’s proposal to Yoga’s inscription into the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Mongolia has publicly reiterated its support for India’s membership to the permanent seat of expanded UNSC.
India has been helping Mongolia to develop infrastructure, health sector and to expand education and employment opportunities in the country.
SAMVAAD dialogue

SAMVAAD dialogue brings Buddhist religious leaders, experts and scholars from different countries together to deliberate on contemporary issues related to Buddhism.
“Samvaad”, is a derivative of the Sanskrit word “Samvadam” [meaning “Dialogue”]
The conference urged open and truthful global dialogue on conflicts and the environment.
General Assembly of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP)

It was initiated at Ulaanbaatar, (Mongolia) in 1969-70 as a voluntary movement of followers of Lord Buddha, both monks and lay, striving to disseminate and implement the teachings of the Enlightened One on peace and harmony, compassion and loving-kindness for all sentient beings on Earth.
It aims to bring together the efforts of Buddhists in support of consolidating universal peace, harmony, and cooperation among peoples of Asia.
The year 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Assembly of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and H.E. Mr Khaltmaagiin Battulga, President of Mongolia, jointly unveiled a statue of Lord Buddha and his two disciples, installed at the historic Gandan Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar.
Prime Minister had offered prayers at the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery during his visit to Mongolia in 2015 and had announced to gift a statue of Lord Buddha to the monastery, underlining the common Buddhist heritage and civilizational links between our two countries and peoples.
The Statue depicts Lord Buddha in a sitting posture along with his two disciples conveying the message of compassion along with peace and co-existence. The statue was installed and consecrated at the Gandan Monastery earlier this month during the third edition of SAMVAAD dialogue held in Ulaanbaatar from 6 – 7 September 2019. Third edition of SAMVAAD dialogue brought together Buddhist religious leaders, experts and scholars from different countries to deliberate on contemporary issues related to Buddhism.
Gandan Tegchenling Monastery is a prominent centre of Mongolian Buddhists and a treasure house of valuable Buddhist heritage. It hosted the 11th General Assembly of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) from 21-23 June 2019 marking the 50th anniversary of the Conference. Over 150 guests from 14 countries including India, South Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, North Korea, LPDR, Thailand, Japan etc. had participated in the event.
The Statue unveiled today by Prime Minister and Mongolian President H.E. Khaltmaagiin Battulga symbolizes the shared respect of our two countries for the universal message of Lord Buddha.

Cooperation between Mongolia and China’s Xinjiang discussed www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. A second meeting of the working group on cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia (MFA Mongolia) and the People’s Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was held in Urumqi city, China on September 19.