1 GOLD AND COPPER PRICES SURGE WWW.UBPOST.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/02      2 REGISTRATION FOR THE ULAANBAATAR MARATHON 2025 IS NOW OPEN WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/02      3 WHY DONALD TRUMP SHOULD MEET KIM JONG- UN AGAIN – IN MONGOLIA WWW.LOWYINSTITUTE.ORG  PUBLISHED:2025/04/02      4 BANK OF MONGOLIA PURCHASES 281.8 KILOGRAMS OF PRECIOUS METALS IN MARCH WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/02      5 P. NARANBAYAR: 88,000 MORE CHILDREN WILL NEED SCHOOLS AND KINDERGARTENS BY 2030 WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/02      6 B. JAVKHLAN: MONGOLIA'S FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES REACH USD 5 BILLION WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/02      7 185 CASES OF MEASLES REGISTERED IN MONGOLIA WWW.AKIPRESS.COM PUBLISHED:2025/04/02      8 MONGOLIAN JUDGE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE APPEALS CHAMBER OF THE ICC WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/01      9 HIGH-PERFORMANCE SUPERCOMPUTING CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED IN PHASES WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/01      10 LEGAL INCONSISTENCIES DISRUPT COAL TRADING ON EXCHANGE WWW.UBPOST.MN PUBLISHED:2025/04/01      УСТСАНД ТООЦОГДОЖ БАЙСАН УЛААНБУРХАН ӨВЧИН ЯАГААД ЭРГЭН ТАРХАХ БОЛОВ? WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/02     САНГИЙН ЯАМ: ДОТООД ҮНЭТ ЦААСНЫ АРИЛЖАА IV/16-НААС МХБ-ЭЭР НЭЭЛТТЭЙ ЯВАГДАНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/02     МОНГОЛБАНКНЫ ҮНЭТ МЕТАЛЛ ХУДАЛДАН АВАЛТ ӨМНӨХ САРААС 56 ХУВИАР, ӨМНӨХ ОНЫ МӨН ҮЕЭС 35.1 ХУВИАР БУУРАВ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/02     Б.ЖАВХЛАН: ГАДААД ВАЛЮТЫН НӨӨЦ ТАВАН ТЭРБУМ ДОЛЛАРТ ХҮРСЭН WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/02     1072 ХУВЬЦААНЫ НОГДОЛ АШИГ 93 500 ТӨГРӨГИЙГ ЭНЭ САРД ОЛГОНО WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/02     Н.УЧРАЛ: Х.БАТТУЛГА ТАНД АСУУДЛАА ШИЙДЭХ 7 ХОНОГИЙН ХУГАЦАА ӨГЧ БАЙНА WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/02     “XANADU MINES” КОМПАНИ "ХАРМАГТАЙ" ТӨСЛИЙН ҮЙЛ АЖИЛЛАГААНЫ УДИРДЛАГЫГ “ZIJIN MINING”-Д ШИЛЖҮҮЛЭЭД БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/02     ТӨМӨР ЗАМЫН БАРИЛГЫН АЖЛЫГ ЭНЭ САРЫН СҮҮЛЭЭР ЭХЛҮҮЛНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/02     “STEPPE GOLD”-ИЙН ХУВЬЦААНЫ ХАНШ 4 ХУВИАР ӨСЛӨӨ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/02     ҮЙЛДВЭРЛЭЛИЙН ОСОЛ ӨНГӨРСӨН ОНД ХОЁР ДАХИН НЭМЭГДЖЭЭ WWW.GOGO.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/04/01    

Category

Events

Events

Name organizer Where
MBCC “Doing Business with Mongolia seminar and Christmas Receptiom” Dec 10. 2024 London UK MBCCI London UK Goodman LLC

NEWS

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Mongolia's total number of confirmed measles cases exceeds 50 www.xinhuanet.com

Mongolia has recorded 24 new cases of measles infection over the past 24 hours, bringing the national caseload to 51, according to the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) on Monday.
According to Mongolian doctors, measles is caused by a single-stranded, enveloped RNA virus with one serotype.
In view of this, the NCCD urged parents to pay attention to the symptoms of measles at an early stage among their children and seek emergency medical care immediately.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease transmitted by respiratory droplets and direct contact.
Common complications include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat and inflamed eyes. The disease can be prevented by immunization.
There is no specific treatment for measles, and most people recover within two to three weeks.A

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Speaker of the Parliament of Mongolia to Pay an Official Visit to the United Kingdom www.montsame.mn

At the invitation of Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Lindsay Hoyle, Chairman of the State Great Khural of Mongolia Amarbayasgalan Dashzegve will pay an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on March 18-23, 2025.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is Mongolia’s third neighbor and an important partner in Europe. This official visit is the first visit by the Speaker of the Parliament of Mongolia to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The official visit aims at expanding relations and cooperation between Mongolia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, strengthening mutual understanding, increasing the frequency of high-level dialogues, and stimulating cooperation between the Parliaments of the two countries.
Also, the visit is expected to create a favorable legal environment to foster bilateral cooperation in economy, energy, and education.

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Mongolian Company Exports Cloud Technology to Uzbekistan www.montsame.mn

 On March 14, 2025, Fibo Cloud, a Mongolian cloud technology company, signed a cooperation agreement to introduce cloud technology to Uzbekistan with Uztelecom JSC, the leading telecommunications operator in the country.
This is Fibo Cloud's second export to Central Asia in the field of data centers. Two years ago in 2023, Fibo Cloud collaborated with Transtelecom, one of the major datacenters in Kazakhstan, to implement the  (cloud.ttc.kz) project.
Uzbekistan currently has two Tier-3 data centers and intends to expand them to five in the coming years. Representatives of the two countries discussed providing possibility of creating a regional digital marketplace. In this regard, Mongolian technology companies have the advantage of delivering their products and services to Uzbek entrepreneurs in the form of PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) and making payments easily without establishing a business entity.
The two companies began cooperation in June 2023 and worked on data, security, reliablity, and localization projects for two years. Specifically, numerous services, including a domestic user identification system and connection to the tax system, are accessible to end users through the domain cloud.uztelecom.uz. The cloud computing market in Uzbekistan is growing rapidly and is expected to reach USD 202 million in 2025. It is anticipated to grow at an average annual rate of 28.43 percent from 2025 to 2029, and the market size will reach USD 550.10 million by 2029.
With more than 17,000 employees and more than 10 million customers, the Uztelecom company owns 92 percent of the country's high-speed cable network and generated USD 510 million in revenue in the third quarter of last year, an increase of 13 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. 5G networks have been introduced in all regional centers of Uzbekistan.

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Polish adventurer becomes first man to cross Mongolia’s Gobi Desert by bike in winter www.polskieradio.pl

Polish explorer Mateusz Waligóra became the first person in recorded history to cycle across Mongolia’s Gobi Desert in winter, covering 1,285 kilometers in 26 days.
Despite severe cold, sandstorms, and multiple breakdowns, he finished the trek on foot, pushing his disabled bike for the final stretch.
Waligóra began the journey solo between Altai and Sainshand but was forced to skip about 120 kilometers when his bike suffered a critical failure. Local residents helped transport him to the nearest town, where replacement parts were shipped from Mongolia’s capital. Once repairs were complete, he resumed the route.
Extreme conditions
Throughout the trip, Waligóra faced temperatures plunging below minus 30 Celsius, frequent spoking issues, and jammed electronics.
Shortly before the end, his bike’s frame snapped, forcing him to walk for hours to the finish line.
“I’m exhausted and happy,” he said. “I feel it was worth crossing the Rubicon a second time to experience this short moment of joy.”
In an Instagram post, Waligóra wrote: “Gobi, by bike, in winter, alone. Twenty-six days and 1,285 kilometers… I’m exhausted. I’m happy. This is the moment I feel it was worth crossing the Rubicon a second time. … If you’re not freezing, if hunger and thirst don’t tear at your insides, who is there to envy?”
Return to the Gobi
It was Waligóra’s second expedition to the Mongolian Gobi; in 2018, he became the first person to traverse it on foot. This year, he endured water shortages, hauling multiple thermoses, and navigating flash thaws that turned the frozen desert into mud.
He credits local inhabitants for their hospitality, saying they “never left me in need and always found ways to help.” Waligóra, known for extreme expeditions to remote corners of the planet—particularly deserts—has also crossed Greenland on foot and traversed Australia’s Canning Stock Route.

 

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The Bank of Mongolia Raises Policy Interest Rate to 12 Percent www.montsame.mn

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Mongolia made the decision to increase the policy interest rate by two percent during its regular session held on March 6-7, 2025. 
As a result, the policy interest rate has been raised to 12 percent. The decision to increase the policy interest rate was driven by the acceleration of inflation, which has reached 9.6 percent, exceeding the central bank’s target level. The surge in electricity prices and its effects, along with heightened economic activity, rising wages, and higher-than-expected increases in the costs of services, rent, and imported goods, have all contributed to inflationary pressures. Consequently, the Bank of Mongolia has shifted away from its previous easing stance at the beginning of 2024 and has now moved toward a tighter monetary policy.
Economic growth reached 4.9 percent in 2024, primarily supported by increased domestic demand, which drove expansion in the trade and services sectors, as well as a rise in net taxes on products. This year, economic growth is expected to be supported by the recovery of the agricultural sector, increased copper concentrate production, and a resurgence in mining activities. Additionally, a more expansionary fiscal stance and the launch of new development projects are anticipated to further stimulate growth. However, uncertainties persist in the external environment due to geopolitical factors and the United States of America's trade and tax policies, leading to expectations of weakened external demand and a relatively gradual decline in benchmark interest rates.
During the regular meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee also decided to set the maximum debt-to-income (DTI) ratio for newly issued and modified consumer loans at 50 percent. Additionally, for pension-backed loans, the committee ruled that after making monthly loan payments, the borrower’s remaining income must not fall below the national minimum subsistence level.

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Sandra Choufani: Investors seek transparent, independent, and protective mechanisms, but they do not exist in Mongolia www.gogo.mn

You have been in Mongolia for almost a year. How well have you adapted to the conditions in Mongolia?
Well, it was very easy from the beginning to adapt to Mongolia. Because there are a lot of similarities with Canada in terms of the weather and nature, but also because Mongolians are so friendly, it makes it very easy for anyone to adjust and feel welcome. So it was quite easy right from the beginning when I first arrived to really settle and enjoy this beautiful country.
By the way, how did you celebrate the Mongolian Lunar New Year last year?
Last year, it was my first Lunar New Year. So of course, as it is a tradition, I gave a greeting to the Mongolian people wearing Mongolian traditional clothing. But I also attended the official events, the official opening of Tsagaan sar at the wrestling palace, going to official events that I was invited to and celebrated with my embassy team as well.
How do you spend your free time here?
When I'm not working and ideally when it's not that cold I do go out and hike with the my dogs. Whenever I have a chance, whether it's on the mountains, on the hills around UB. In the summer, I went camping a couple of times.
I love being outdoors. It's really nice. I haven't had a chance yet, but it's coming. I do want to go ski because I do ski. I do want to go try the Sky Resort before the winter ends. So I'd love to do that.
It has been nearly half a century since our two countries established diplomatic relations. What have been our achievements during this time?
Historically Canada has been quite a partner in the mining sector. We are behind the discovery of the Oyu Tolgoi mine.
And I think this is probably Canada's biggest legacy in this country. The investments that we put into developing is the biggest project in Mongolia because it has since then employed so many people and generated so much income for the country. It helped Mongolia's development. So by far, this is our biggest legacy.
But of course, since then, we've had a lot of collaboration in various other areas, including democracy, human rights, gender equality. We've had, we're trying to diversify our trade, looking beyond the mining sector as well, including the agriculture sector. So we have expanded our partnership, our relationship beyond just the mining sector. We've had high-level visits throughout the years, whether it's our speaker, George J. Furey who came to visit a couple of years ago.
We had the Governor General also almost 10 years ago who came to visit. Recently, we've had Minister Batsetseg go to Canada to celebrate the 50th anniversary. And we've had our special envoy for the Indo-Pacific who came just last year in 2024. So we've had some multiple exchanges throughout the years.
What is the current state of trade and economic relations between our two countries?
The distance between our countries, the trade relations have not been necessarily big. So we export about $30.7 million to Mongolia. Basically mining machinery, precious stones and metals, and specific instruments and electricity and electronics.
And we import about $3.1 million dollars of goods from Mongolia, mostly cashmere and clothing goods. So that's the extent of the bilateral trade relations.
But of course, we're always looking for new opportunities, and new ways to do business. We want to expand that. We're looking at selling, for example, helicopters from Bell helicopter to Mongolia. We're looking at potentially selling Blackberry technology which is cyber security technology to Mongolia. We're looking at hopefully some other opportunities for the future.
We have great a relationship. We're great friends. We have shared values on various things like gender equality, the promotion of human rights, and so we've got a lot to work on together. So I can only see good things in the future between the two countries.  I think we're just focusing on expanding that relationship even further.
As the ambassador, what are your plans for 2025?
So for 2025 plan is to continue expanding that relationship with Mongolia. We've had already started quite an active beginning of the year actually, because we've just last week, we organized the Women, Peace and Security Workshop,  which helps Mongolia develop a roadmap to the drafting the National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security. This week we're organizing a workshop on nuclear energy to help Mongolia also determine if nuclear energy is an option that the country could consider. We have multiple Canada Fund for Local Initiatives projects that we are currently closing, but we're also going to be soon launching a new wave of projects to fund.
We've just recently had approval to start implementing a series of development projects with Mongolia that will be starting this year in 2025. We're trying to get a follow-up visit for our Canadian international trade representative potentially.
And also trying to see whether we can have any follow up on the mining sector. We signed a memorandum of understanding for the implementation of the Towards Sustainable Mining initiative back in October. We're going to be implementing that this year hopefully. Аnd our colleagues from the from Natural Resource Canada will be providing technical support to the Mongolian National Geological Survey to develop their capacity in analyzing geological survey data. So there's a lot happening throughout the year.
Could you provide more details about the "Technical Assistance Partnership" program?
The Technical Assistance Partnership Programme, it's basically meant to facilitate the transfer of Canadian expertise to the recipient. Over the last two years we've had technical assistance in the judicial sector to help build a more impartial and independent judiciary. That's what we've been focusing on for the last two years. We've facilitated, through that support the partnership between Canadian judges and Mongolian judges, and particularly the Judges Association of Mongolia. We also facilitated study to Canada to help them to understand our independence of large judiciary.
So that's what the TAP was focused on in the last two years. We were exploring the idea of providing technical support for English education teaching. Unfortunately, it hasn't materialize yet, but we're going to keep that idea for the future. There may be some other opportunities where we can support English teaching, but currently, we don't have anything yet that is supporting that.
You mentioned the judicial system, and I believe this is a very important issue for us. Many of our people either don’t trust or have little faith in the system, as it is not always applied equally. Is there any report on this, or what are the results of that program?
So the judicial sector is the second sector that people have least confidence in. The first one is parliament. So as you mentioned, it is absolutely essential that the judiciary becomes more independent and becomes more trustworthy. It is highly corrupt right now and it's not necessarily serving the people. We fully understand that and the judicial sector knows that as well. So they are quite committed and willing to improve that confidence in them. So that technical assistance project which lasted about two years is now actually going to become a full development project.
And it's going to last for almost four years. So the Canadian Commissioner of Federal Judicial Affairs will be supporting Mongolian judges and Mongolian judicial institutions in building that independence and impartiality. And I think they're going to do it in different ways they're going to try to help them become more modernized as an institution, more transparent and more communicating with the public. They want to become also more accessible and also hope that all the judgments that will be taken will be published. By becoming more public, then you're becoming more accountable because you're inviting more scrutiny into your decisions. So this project will start this year in 2025 and will go to 2029.
And so we'll be able to bring some Canadian expertise and some help to achieve that goal. I think this is gonna be an important project.
The Canada-Mongolia Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) entered into force in 2017. Have Canadian companies increased their investments since the agreement was implemented?
So despite the fact that we have a FIPA between Mongolia and Canada, unfortunately the Canadian investment into Mongolia has not increased. And it's not due to the FIPA. It's due unfortunately to two things. One is Mongolia is a small market for it to attract foreign investment. It has to be interesting and inviting. But unfortunately, because of Mongolia's foreign investment policies and regulations and climate, it's not very interesting for foreign investment to come here.
What is interesting for them?
Interesting means you're giving a reason to a foreign investor to come and invest money in your country. That means they will come here knowing that they will make money. That's what investors do. And that their investment is protected. That it's not going to be taken away within a day's decision. That if there is a conflict, that there's good mechanism for resolution of these conflicts, that they are transparent and independent, that they can rely on a judicial sector that can defend its interest if its interest is violated. This is not the case here. The case here is we've had cases where payments were not paid. We had cases where permits were just taken away unilaterally by the government. And there is no incentives, tax incentives, for these investors to come invest here.
And so they would rather go somewhere else where those countries have understood how to attract foreign investment and they put in place the environment necessary that attracts those foreign investments. That's the issue that we have here in Mongolia that we're hoping that the government will address. We have conveyed those message to the government multiple times and I think the government understands that but it's actually taking the right steps to move forward to be able to attract this investment.
As I mentioned regularly to any of my interlocutors, we have more than 748 Canadian mining companies that are investing abroad, outside of Canada. There may be five here. That's striking that there are only five in Mongolia which is a mining country. So Mongolia has to be more inviting there has to be more interesting for investors.
Where are they more interested in?
In South America. So Mongolia is competing against South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. You have mining countries in all of these different continents. Some of these countries have been more interesting and they figured out that if you adopt the right policies and make the climate more conducive, foreign investors will come. And that's who Mongolia is competing with.
Could you share some insights about Canada’s "Feminist International Assistance Policy"?
Sure. The Canadian Feminist International Policy was adopted back in 2017. It aims basically to integrate feminist policies and gender equality initiatives in everything that we do from an international assistance point of view. So all the funding that we provide to developing countries needs to integrate a feminist lens.
So this means whether it's education, whether it's health, whether it's eliminating poverty, whether it's looking at human rights or governance, they all need to look into what they're doing, but from a feminist angle. That's what the Feminist International Assistance is because we at the time had announced quite clearly that women need to be center of everything that we do or else we would be not able to achieve our development goals. And we made that clear in the Feminist International Assistance Policy. We’ve been implementing that since 2017 including here, everything that we do here in the different funding that we provide has to have a feminist lens and a gender equality element.
Canada and Mongolia share similar weather conditions. What Canadian experiences or practices could we learn from and adapt to our local context?
There are a lot of things that we can share among each other on how to adapt to a cold weather whether it's from an economic point of view whether it's new technologies whether it's how do you manage snow. Although for us Mongolia doesn't have a lot of snow. I don't know if you follow but the eastern Canada in the last three days have received more than 50-60 centimeters of snow, which Mongolia never sees. So it's, I think there's different ways, but I think what is more important that we can share with Mongolia is how to be a successful economy regardless of your weather. In Canada we adapt to the weather, we do not let the weather dictate how strong our economy or not is. We don't we have to find ways where we continue to develop and prosper economically regardless of how the weather is and I always give an example of our agricultural production. For example Canada is one of the top exporters of agricultural products, despite being a very cold country. So we have been able to develop our agriculture regardless of the weather that we have. So these are things that Mongolia could look into, practices that Mongolia could gain from.
My next question is about the Trump decision. Trump made a statement about doubling the tax. But I hope he froze that decision, right? Please share your opinion about this?
In our case right now the only tariff that has been imposed is on steel and aluminium. The US has imposed a 10% tariff on steel and aluminum. And of course, any tariff in the trade relationship between the US and Canada, we believe is not the right way to develop our economies. I think both our economies would be hurt by any tariffs that are being imposed. So we strongly we had strongly encouraged the US not to put any tariffs into Canada. But in any case I believe my government is ready to retaliate if necessary. The government is looking at multiple strategies on what to adopt in case there are more tariffs to Canada. We have a great relationship with our U.S. partners. There are trade relations between the two countries that have lasted more than decades and historical ties that go beyond what we're talking about in recent weeks or months. So we truly believe that this historical tie between the two countries will prevail, and that we can find ways that we can overcome whatever issues we have between the two nations. So that we can avoid getting into a trade war or getting into adopting any tariffs. But should there be any tariffs, the government has came out quite clear that there will be retaliation. We will also adopt tariffs to respond to any threats to our economy. But for now, we're waiting to see if there will be any other changes in that decision. You are saying they haven't been effectively implemented.
I think you are an animal lover. Although Mongolia has enacted animal rights protection laws, they have not been effectively implemented. How are animal rights protected and enforced in Canada?
We have in our criminal code a reference to not violating the rights of animals and there's one that says you can't get into animal torture but also that you have an obligation for caring for your animals. And that is not just pets. it's also livestock. So if you have cattle, sheep or horses, you have an obligation to care for them. And the definition of caring for them, I think, is where it's different between Mongolia and Canada. In our case, for example, caring means you have to ensure that your livestock is fed.
For example, if a zhud happens in Canada, and you as a farmer lose your cattle because you did not feed them, you are criminally responsible, which is not the case here. So our farmers have an obligation to ensure that their animals are well fed and well taken care of. This means food, providing enough food and transportation. If you're transporting your cattle, you have to transport them by appropriate transportation means, there's a limit of how many cows, for example, you can put in a truck, and how many hours they can go without being fed and watered. So there's a lot of regulations that protect the livestock that you don't have here in Mongolia. I think Mongolia lost nearly 7 million livestock last year. There are no consequences for the farmer, except that they lose their livelihoods.
But there's no responsibility and no accountability. And I think this is where it's different with Canada. Canada criminalizes the lack of caring for your own livestock, if I would say.
So here you have great natural grazing so the cows are dependent on what is available in the soil even in winter which is not the case in Canada. In Canada all the livestock on in farms and they have to be fed by the farmer. So it's a different kind of agriculture but one that is it's protected by legislation.
Last year, I met someone who works at a shelter, and he mentioned you. He told me that you visited their shelter and provided significant help, showing genuine care and concern. Do you often spend your free time volunteering for communities?
I have two dogs. Whenever I have a chance I go. Unfortunately my time schedule it doesn't allow me to go more often than I would like. But those shelters need help because they're not necessarily well funded. They don't receive necessarily funding from the government. They're funded by private donations like mine, for example. And so, and they have a lot of dogs and there's still a lot of dogs in the streets in UB or outside UB that need to be cared for. And they are over capacity, these shelters, and so any help that we can give them would be welcomed, whether it's donations, money, whether it's providing them with food for the dogs, or sometimes because of my two dogs, I have a lot of things that I can give them that I don't need anymore, like beds, collars, and things like that. And so I'm always happy whenever I can. if I can't go myself at least I can provide them with with few items that they can use for to help all the dogs that are on the streets in UB.
Thank you for your time.

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An Unlikely Democracy: The Legacy of Mongolia’s 1990 Revolution www.thediplomat.com

The resilience and continued survival of Mongolian democracy is a testament that democracy can endure in hard places.
 This month marks the 35th anniversary of Mongolia’s 1990 Revolution, which marked the beginning of the end of seven decades of communist rule in the land-locked Asian country. As a small state living in the shadow of Russia and China, the resilience and continued survival of Mongolian democracy is a testament that democracy can endure in hard places.
Since 1924, the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) had ruled the country with an iron fist. By 1990, Mongolia had few prerequisites for successful democratization. It was the poorest communist country in the world, with a per capita income of only around $2,000, only two-thirds as much as China and half the level of the poorest Eastern European country. Mongolia was a virtual Soviet satellite, dependent on the Soviet Union for 95 percent of its trade and on Soviet aid, and isolated from most forms of liberal Western linkage and leverage. 
Mongolia’s 1990 Revolution in Retrospect
As frustration mounted over failed liberalization and the winds of change swept across the communist bloc, mass democracy protests broke out in Mongolia. On December 10, 1989, to commemorate international human rights day, a few hundred people gathered in Ulaanbaatar to announce the birth of a new non-communist opposition, the Mongolian Democratic Union (MDU). The group drew larger crowds for weekly demonstrations each Sunday through the spring of 1990. In mid-January, over 100,000 Mongolians filled Sukhbaatar Square. In mid-February, MDU activists announced new opposition parties.
On March 7, MDU activists launched a hunger strike, drawing inspiration from the Tiananmen Square demonstrations. MPRP elites were not able to overcome paralysis or mobilize Chinese-style repression.  MPRP General Secretary Batmunkh Jamba was forced to resign by March 14; the MPRP replaced its entire leadership and under his successor Ochirbat Punsalmaa agreed to give up its monopoly on power and hold free elections. 
In July 1990, the MPRP won 357 of 430 seats in the Great Hural (Mongolia’s parliament) following the first multiparty elections. The MPRP won 70 of 76 Great Hural seats in 1992. The democratic transition was complete by June 1993, when Ochirbat won the first direct competitive presidential elections as the liberal opposition candidate over the MPRP candidate.
Democracy and Development in Mongolia Since 1990
Mongolia quickly underwent a double transition. Economically, after an initial recession through 1993, long-stalled development took off as central planning was abandoned in favor of market reform. Per capita incomes septupled in three decades to $14,000 by 2023. The population of the capital tripled to 1.7 million since 1990, reflecting major urbanization, even though 40 percent of the population is still nomadic and a third still live in traditional yurts. 
Politically, neopatrimonialism declined rapidly. Democracy became the “only game in town” by the late 1990s, even as challenges of corruption and accountability continued. There have been several peaceful transfers of power, with legislative control passing mainly between the Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) and the Democratic Party (DP). The MPP lost power in 1996 but participated in coalition governments from 2004 to 2012. Protests of the MPP’s electoral victory in 2008 prompted a state of emergency and led to several deaths. 
The country has experienced some democratic backsliding since the MPP returned to power in 2016 after years in opposition, according to V-Dem. In 2023, though still an electoral democracy, Mongolia fell into the democratic “gray zone” in V-Dem’s Regimes of the World typology. 
Yet in the latest Freedom House scores for 2024, Mongolia still rates as “Free” with 84 out of 100 on political and civil liberties, equaling the score earned by the United States. Constitutional reforms in 2023 led to a larger unicameral legislature with a mixed electoral system, and increased gender quotas for women political candidates.
In the 2024 election, despite some international observers claiming the elections were free but not fully fair, the MPP victory was much slimmer than in 2016 or 2020. The MPP won just 68 of 126 seats. The DP gained 42 seats, a big improvement over 2020. Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai was reelected as prime minister by a grand coalition of the MPP, the DP, and the HUN Party.
Resisting Sharp Power in Mongolia
For most of the Cold War, Mongolia was essentially a Soviet client state, at least until the rise of Gorbachev and the “Sinatra doctrine” led Soviet military forces to withdraw between 1986 and 1992. The 1990 revolution and collapse of the Soviet Union led to the collapse of Soviet/Russian formal bilateral influence capacity in Mongolia, per FBIC data. From the late 1990s through the 2000s, no single state wielded disproportionate influence in Mongolia.
In recent decades, Mongolia has been weaker than its larger neighbors, but has managed to maintain a measure of autonomy. In 2012, the last Lenin statue was quietly torn down in Ulaanbaatar.  his year, Mongolia began using its traditional bichig script in government documents. 
Mongolian foreign policy is premised on hedging through its “third neighbor” policy, triangulating cooperation with other major powers. For example, Mongolia signed strategic or comprehensive partnerships agreements with the United States in 2019, Canada in 2023, and Germany in 2024. The U.S. and Mongolia signed a critical minerals memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2023.
Yet Russia and China have emerged as the two most influential outside powers in Mongolia, with China now Mongolia’s largest trading partner. Mongolia established  comprehensive strategic partnerships with China in 2014 and Russia in 2019. In 2016, Mongolia joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Last September, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Ulaanbaatar, using Mongolia to defy the International Criminal Court.  
Although rising Chinese and Russian influence has led to concerns of the effects of corrosive sharp power elsewhere in East Asia (e.g. in Taiwan), so far Mongolian democracy has appeared not to be a major target of Russian or Chinese destabilization campaigns. As a geostrategically vulnerable buffer state wedged between Russia and China, Mongolia’s future may be a canary in the coalmine for the fate of “weak state democracy” in a world of restored great power competition. We should all wish it continued development and democratic success. But encouraging efforts to combat corruption may be more difficult as USAID is curtailed in the country, and Mongolia turns to other development partners. 
By John J. Chin

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Mongolia and the Republic of Poland Establish a Comprehensive Partnership www.montsame.mn

During the State Visit of President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa to the Republic of Poland, the following documents were signed. 
President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa and President of the Republic of Poland Andrej Duda signed a Joint Declaration on Establishing a Comprehensive Partnership between Mongolia and the Republic of Poland.
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Republic of Poland, the two sides elevated their relations to a Comprehensive Partnership. This Partnership aims at strengthening mutual respect and trust, aligning the social and economic development goals of the two countries, and deepening bilateral cooperation in all areas. 
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Battsetseg Batmunkh and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski signed an Action Plan for the Comprehensive Partnership between Mongolia and the Republic of Poland for 2025-2030.
The Action Plan defines key areas of cooperation including political dialogue, parliamentary cooperation, economy, trade, agriculture, science, technology, and environment, detailing relevant measures in each area.
Minister of Health of Mongolia Munkhsaikhan Togtmol and Director of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products of the Republic of Poland Grzegorz Cessak signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Medicine and Medical Devices Regulatory Agency of Mongolia and the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products of the Republic of Poland.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding, the two sides will cooperate on introducing European standards for the production, storage, and distribution of medical products in Mongolia and exchange information on registration, safety, and monitoring. Also, the two sides will cooperate in increasing the use of safe, high-quality, and reliable medicine, medical devices, and health supplements in Mongolia and improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare services.
Rector of the National Defense University of Mongolia Dashzeveg Surenkhorloo and Rector of the War Studies University of the Republic of Poland Mieczysław Gocul signed an Agreement on Cooperation between the National Defense University of Mongolia and the War Studies University of the Republic of Poland.
Under the Agreement, the two universities will conduct joint research, training sessions, conferences, and seminars, as well as exchange experiences among students, faculty, and staff. This Agreement aims at deepening defense relations and cooperation, strengthening mutual trust in the region, and enhancing the professional skills of military personnel.
President of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences Demberel Sodnomsambuu and President of the Polish Academy of Sciences Marek Konarzewski signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific Cooperation between the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and Polish Academy of Sciences.
Since the mid-1960s, the two sides have actively cooperated in history, ethnology, paleontology, and biology. This Memorandum of Understanding will further expand the scope and scale of cooperation, increase traditional and new joint research projects, empower human resources in science, and help maintain stable cooperation between the two academies. 
Director of the Institute of Paleontology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences Badamkhatan Zorigt and Director of the Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences Jarosław Stolarski signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific Cooperation between the Institute of Paleontology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
From 1963 to 1971, the two academies conducted joint paleontological field research in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, resulting in an extensive collection of fossils from dinosaurs, mammals, and reptiles, as well as multiple important scientific discoveries. This Memorandum of Understanding elevates cooperation to a higher level, laying the groundwork for continuing historical paleontological research.
Director-General of the Mongolian National Broadcaster Gerel Gankhuyag and Deputy Director of the National Television of the Republic of Poland Paweł Sosnowski signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Mongolian National Broadcaster and the National Television of the Republic of Poland.
This Memorandum of Understanding is pivotal in launching cooperation, creating joint productions that display the two countries’ history and cultural heritages, and building human resource capacities, playing a vital role in promoting the exchange of history, cultural heritage, environment, and cultural content between the broadcasting sectors of the two countries. 
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Republic of Poland Oyundari Navaan-Yunden and Editor-in-Chief of the Polish Press Agency Wojciech Tumidalski signed an Agreement on Cooperation between MONTSAME Mongolian National News Agency and the Polish Press Agency.
Under this Agreement, the two agencies will exchange news and information on political relations, social and economic conditions, business, tourism, culture, arts, and history and distribute them through their respective media channels. The cooperation will also involve journalist and professional exchange programs to share knowledge and experience.
Director of “Mongol Kino” Studio of Mongolia Tumen-Ulzii Budsuren and Deputy Director of the Documentary and Feature Film Studio of Poland Agnieszka Będkowska signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between “Mongol Kino” Studio and the Documentary and Feature Film Studio of Poland.
The cooperation will include implementing joint film projects, organizing film productions, providing professional consultations and training, developing film industry professionals, and sharing experiences on the procurement, rental, and maintenance of modern film equipment.
Rector of the National University of Mongolia Ochirkhuyag Bayanjargal and Rector of Jagiellonian University of the Republic of Poland Piotr Jedynak signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the National University of Mongolia and Jagiellonian University of the Republic of Poland.
This Memorandum will enhance collaboration between scholars and researchers, creating opportunities for conducting internationally competitive research. Through student and faculty exchange programs, the partnership will deepen cultural ties and introduce the best international practices in the education sector. Additionally, young researchers will have access to European-funded scholarships and research programs, while Mongolian students will gain opportunities to study, conduct research, and receive scholarships in Poland.
Director of the Mongolian State Conservatory Sharavtseren Tserenjigmed and Rector of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music of the Republic of Poland Tomasz Strahl signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Mongolian State Conservatory and the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music of the Republic of Poland.
Since 2011, the Mongolian State Conservatory has collaborated with the Embassy of Poland in Mongolia to organize the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Mongolia four times. Moving forward, the two institutions will work together to promote Mongolian traditional and contemporary music, compile and publish musical works, sheet music, and scores, and perform them at the Polish institution.
Director of the Mongolian State Conservatory Sharavtseren Tserenjigmed and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to Mongolia Krzysztof Bojko signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Mongolian State Conservatory and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music of the Republic of Poland.
The cooperation will focus on student and faculty exchanges, joint artistic productions, exchange of musical compositions, implementing collaborative projects between academic staff, and organizing joint academic conferences and research activities.
Governor of Tuv Aimag of Mongolia Tumurchudur Lkhagvasuren and Member of the Management Board of Mazowieckie Voivodeship of the Republic of Poland Janina Ewa Orzełowska signed an Agreement on Cooperation between Tuv aimag of Mongolia and Mazowieckie Voivodeship of the Republic of Poland.
The partnership will facilitate student, teacher, and researcher exchange programs, organize cultural events, promote investment and support local producers, and expand collaboration in agriculture, technology, and tourism.

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Ulaanbaatar Railway to Transport 22 Million Tons of Foreign Trade Cargo in 2025 www.montsame.mn

On March 14, 2025, a Consultation Meeting on “Agreement on Cargo Volume between the Members of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD)” was held in Ulaanbaatar, the Capital City of Mongolia.
At the meeting, participants reviewed the implementation of the cargo volume for foreign trade agreed upon for transportation via the fifth section of the Railway Cooperation Organization in 2024 and reached an agreement on the cargo volume for 2025. In 2024, the Ulaanbaatar Railway (UBTZ) had planned to transport 21.2 million tons of foreign trade cargo that year. In 2025, the amount of foreign trade cargo was increased to 22 million tons, an increase of one million tons compared to the previous year. This change signals a potential rise in Mongolia’s volume of exports, imports, and transit transportation by rail. 
Notably, UBTZ will take all necessary measures to transport the planned cargo volume, cooperating with the railways of neighboring countries. Moreover, Director of Ulaanbaatar Railway Kh. Kherlen was awarded an Honorary Certificate in recognition of his contribution to strengthening the cooperation among the member countries of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways.

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Mongolia-EU Business and Investment Forum (announcement) www.international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu

The Mongolia-EU Business and Investment Forum marks a significant milestone in fostering collaboration between Mongolia and the European Union, offering a unique platform to connect businesses, investors, and policymakers.
the EU's international role | international cooperation | Global Gateway
Thursday 9 October 2025, 09:00 - Friday 10 October 2025, 18:00 (+08)
Practical information
When
Thursday 9 October 2025, 09:00 - Friday 10 October 2025, 18:00 (+08)
Languages
English, Mongolian
Part of
EU Business Fora
Description
This Global Gateway event aims to explore and unlock high-potential opportunities across critical sectors, emphasizing sustainable development and technological innovation that will benefit both regions for years to come.
Mongolia’s dynamic economy is evolving rapidly, and the forum will focus on key sectors with vast potential for growth and collaboration. These sectors include:
Renewable energy and green tech
Sub-sectors: solar power, wind energy, hydro energy, and energy storage
Technology and digitalisation
Sub-sectors: AI, Fin Tech, software development, and IT services
Forestry and agribusiness
Sub-sectors: livestock farming, forestry, organic products, and agricultural technology
Trade 
Sub-sectors: e-commerce, fast consumer goods and electronics
Manufacturing and light industry
Sub-sectors: textile production, construction materials, food processing, and consumer goods manufacturing
Infrastructure development
Sub-sectors: transportation (railways, roads, airports), urban development, and smart cities
Mining and Critical Raw Material 
Sub-sectors: copper, gold, rare earth elements, and uranium

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