It was said to want to revise a 2009 agreement that gave 34% of the copper-gold project to the Mongolian government and 66% to Ivanhoe Mines, now the Rio-controlled Turquoise Hill, and scrap the 2015 Dubai agreement which allowed the start of the project's underground development.

The US$5.3 billion underground expansion is forecast to make Oyu Tolgoi the world's third-largest copper mine by 2025.

Separately, Turquoise Hill had to sign a revised power agreement with the government in December after an earlier agreement was cancelled and is in discussions to resolve a US$155 million tax bill received last year.

Turquoise Hill said its Mongolian subsidiary had provided the economic standing committee with a written response to the summary of the parliamentary report.

"At this time, it is our understanding that the timeline to review the PWG report by the ESC has not been fully established," the company said.

"Ulf Quellmann, CEO of Turquoise Hill, is in Mongolia actively working on this matter with the Oyu Tolgoi LLC team as well as Rio Tinto."

The company said it would update the market in due course.

Its shares closed C1c higher yesterday to $1.92, capitalising it at $3.86 billion, about half the value of 12 months ago.

To be built with the state funding, a construction of 20 kilometers, in first advance, of the Chinggis city- Berkh road is expected be completed by November 1 this year, if there will be no financial problem.

Head of the Cabinet Secretariat of Government L.Oyun-Erdene, who was accompanying the Prime Minister, stressed out an importance of the road. He said that the road is to be an important part of nationwide construction for ‘Historical tourism’. Next year, it is expected to commission airports ‘Undurkhaan’ and ‘Dadal’ and major complexes in several soums of Khentii aimag; thus the paved roads will be in high demand to take tourists to historical places, added Mr. Oyun-Erdene.

The company has been working with Mongolian doctors, especially the Onom Foundation, which is committed to liver diseases, for the last 11 years. The representatives spoke about this cooperation with President Kh.Battulga, while exchanging views on the necessity to introduce the treatment of the Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) infection; other matters relating to liver disease in Mongolia were also discussed.

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals is currently implementing Phase 3 of its lead programme which focuses on developing a treatment for the HDV infection.

Mongolia launched the “Whole-Liver Mongolia” national programme in May 2017, and over 350,000 people aged 40-65 being tested for hepatitis B and C for free in the first phase; over 70 percent of those diagnosed with hepatitis received treatment.

B.Khurts has been accused of breaching the laws on intelligence procedures by using torture to obtain confessions from defendants of the much-publicised murder case of the politician S.Zorig, who one of the heroes of Mongolia’s peaceful transition to democracy and a likely future prime-minister. Following an investigation lasting two decades – in which there have been accusations of cover-ups and during which numerous people, including the victim’s wife, have been detained – Ts.Amgalanbaatar and two others were sentenced to 24-25 years in prison for the murder of S.Zorig.

The murder of S.Zorig case was transferred to the Criminal Police Department from Independent Authority of Anti-Corruption due to the lack of human resources on 19 March.

Previously, he was involved in the abduction of Mongolian dissident Enkhbat Damiran, living in France, who was forcibly returned to Ulaanbaatar and died in custody, allegedly following torture. For this B.Khurts was arrested when visiting London in 2010 and held in Wandsworth Prison, before being sent to Germany and finally returned to Mongolia in 2011 in the lead up to a visit by Chancellor Merkel. The next year he was appointed head of the GIA.

During the event, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Introduction of international training program of Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF)) in Mongolia was signed between the Insurance Risk Academy and ANZIIF as well as cooperation agreement was signed between the Insurance Risk Academy and the University of Finance and Economics.

By signing the MoU, it has become available to launch the international program for empowering human resources working in insurance sector in Mongolia and training personnel to work at international arena.

The NEMA noted that discarded cigarettes and open fires were the main causes of the wildfires, warning citizens not to make open fires and not to throw cigarette butts on the ground amid current dry conditions.

To prevent forest and steppe fires, the country has imposed a ban on backcountry travel, hiking and other travel or recreational activities in areas covered with forests until June 10.

A total of 77 forest and steppe fires were recorded across the country last year, burning 568,600 hectares of land, according to the NEMA.

Indian officials are in Ulaanbaatar to seal a contract so that construction can start as soon as possible. Work has not started despite the announcement made by PM Narender Modi four years ago and a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh about a year back.

The refinery gives India a strategic entry into Mongolia, dominated for centuries by its two large neighbours. While most of Mongolia’s famed mineral wealth is shipped to China, it depends on Russia for finished petroleum products despite having oil fields of its own.
Mongolia has accepted India’s line of credit offer of $1 billion to set up the refinery near the cross-road town of Sainshand in the Gobi desert, 200 km away from the Chinese border and another 100 km afield from a “one belt, one road” corridor to Urumqi.

Mongolia will be seeking to reverse a 60-year irony of having oil fields, but being forced to send crude to China and then Russia for refining ever since its sole refinery shut down in 1969.

The establishment of this refinery will enhance India’s political capital, thus adding to its spiritual influence due to the efforts of Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, a Ladakhi who was the Indian Ambassador and spiritual guru in Mongolia. This initiative is in line with Mongolia’s ``third neighbour” policy of building ties with nations other than Russia and China.

Talks will also touch on the construction of a railway line, a heavy load road and a power transmission line to connect the refinery to the existing networks.

India is also encouraging its oil companies to play a more active role by staging the first oil and gas exhibition 2019 in Mongolia.

Ministry of External Affairs senior official TS Tirumurti and Mongolian Minining Minister D Sumiyabazar will jointly inaugurate the exposition.

For construction

Mongolia has oil fields but no refinery, so it sends crude to China and then Russia for refining
India is attempting a beachhead in Mongolia with a refinery that will come up barely 200 km from the border with China
Mongolia has accepted India’s line of credit offer of $1 billion and Indian officials are in Ulaanbaatar to seal a contract so that construction of refinery can start as soon as possible

The project leader estimates that a total of over USD 40 million investment is planned for the construction of five studio projects. The complex consists of nine studios, a production facility, an open-film shooting station, and full-service offices with modern standards.

The government decided to develop the Maidar eco-city project, which will be built as the second biggest developed city after Ulaanbaatar. The project will create apartments with a capacity of accommodating 200,000 people. According to a pre-estimation, USD 3 billion investment will be required for its infrastructure. The first phase of Maidar construction will finish in 2030.

“We hope the project will enable international artists to create a film about Mongolia’s history, folklore, and traditions, and to create their own works from our cultures,” emphasized the President of Mongolia Battulga Khaltmaa at the opening ceremony of the National Silm Studio of Mongolia.

The studio will feature a dubbed, undubbed, and post-processing film with modern equipment and technology.

In addition, all types of items used for the workshop and film production will be stored in an environment that meets the standard requirements for filming.

The project initiators expect the movie studio to be capable of taking pictures of the four seasons of nature and shooting all kinds of films, including urban, natural, and traditional culture.