KOICA and UNICEF sign cooperation agreement to improve Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene services in Mongolia www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar/MONTSAME/ The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) will join efforts over next three years to strengthen the resilience of children and their communities to climate change through enhanced access to quality and reliable water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in Mongolia.

CNOOC launches Tianjin section of Western Inner Mongolia Pipeline www.interfaxenergy.com

China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) officially launched the Tianjin section of the Western Inner Mongolia Pipeline on 13 December, the company said on Friday.

Steppe Gold nears production in Mongolia www.canadaminingjournal.com

Since Steppe Gold (TSXV: STGO) purchased Altan Tsaagan Ovoo (ATO) from Centerra Gold (TSX: CG) for $19.8 million in January 2017, the junior has made steady progress de-risking and building the heap leach, gold-silver project in eastern Mongolia.

The economic corridor "China-Mongolia-Russia": problems and development prospects www.iopscience.iop.org

Abstract. The article describes the problems of creating the economic corridor ChinaMongolia-Russia.
The issues of interaction between the three countries on joining the Chinese initiative of the economic belt of the Silk Road, the Mongolian concept of the "Steppe Way"
and the Russian idea of building the Eurasian Economic Union are studied. The problems of implementation of the "Program of creation of economic corridor China – Mongolia – Russia" are revealed. The necessity of specification of the list of investment projects and determination of the membership of the participants is substantiated. The expediency of the creation of a
permanent tripartite intergovernmental Commission for the implementation of the Program of creation of the China – Mongolia – Russia economic corridor, headed by high officials of each country, is justified. The commission is proposed to allocate several subcommissions in
various areas, including transport infrastructure, trade, energy, industry, humanitarian cooperation and other areas of activity. The necessity of the establishment in each of the three countries of the state commissions for the implementation of the Program, the activities of
which should be aimed at the preparation of specific projects, the appointment of stakeholders,
the involvement of specialists and experts is substantiated. The expediency of placing the state
commissions of Russia and China in the administrative centers of the regions, most connected
with the economic corridor is shown in Ulan-Ude (the Russian Federation) and Hohhot (China)
is pointed out.
1. Introduction
In the context of globalization, the creation of economic corridors as instruments of international
cooperation in transport, logistics, trade and other spheres of activity is an important area of development of neighboring countries [1]. Several corridors are being promoted through regional cooperation initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa [2]. In the Asia-Pacific region, regional corridors are being developed with the support of the
Asian development Bank [3]. The creation of economic corridors with neighboring countries in the
framework of the development of Eurasian cooperation is an urgent task for Russia [4]. In this context,
the initiative to create an international economic corridor China-Mongolia-Russia, approved by the
leaders of the three countries, is very important. It fits in with the plans of trilateral cooperation, allows
to "dovetailing" regional development strategy: the Chinese initiative of the economic belt of the Silk
Road, the Mongolian concept of "Steppe way" and the Russian idea of building the Eurasian economic
Union [5]. The creation of a trilateral economic corridor can become a strong impetus for the development of the adjacent Siberian regions [6]. The increase in freight traffic will increase the efficiency of the use of the Trans-Siberian Railway, highways and other infrastructure.
2. Models and Methods
The author analyzes the factors influencing the efficiency of the economic corridor China-MongoliaRussia.
The terrestrial nature of the corridor reduces its competitiveness in comparison with sea
communications: the delivery of cargo for long distances by water transport is much cheaper. Thus,
the opening of the Suez Canal made the transportation of tea to Central Russia by sea more profitable
than by the Great tea route [7]. In general, relatively high transport tariffs on the land route reduce its
attractiveness for interested parties (trade companies, buyers, etc.).
The competitive advantages of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor are the security of
the transport route running through conflict-free areas, as well as the high speed of cargo delivery [8].
It is necessary to study the market for possible transport by type of transport, distance, volumes and
types of cargo, as well as comparative analysis with alternative transport routes taking into account
safety, speed of delivery and insurance costs [9].
A significant part of the economic corridor passes through Mongolia and Siberian regions of Russia, characterized by low population density and low economic potential. Therefore, the activities carried out within the framework of the tripartite corridor have little impact on the development of the respective territories. On the contrary, in the densely populated regions, the creation of transport
communications (railroads and highways, bridges, ports, etc.), aimed at increasing transit traffic, is a
powerful impetus for the development of the local economy. The relatively low potential for
economic activity in the territories adjacent to the economic corridor China-Mongolia-Russia reduces
the attractiveness of relevant investment projects for potential investors, including the Asian Bank for
Infrastructure Investments, the Asian Development Bank.
Due to the high cost of investment projects to create new transport infrastructure, including railway
and road sections, it is advisable to concentrate on the main transport corridors. By rail, this route is
Erlian-Ulan-Bator-Naushki-Ulan-Ude [10].
By road, the main route is Erlian-Ulan-Bator-Kyakhta-Ulan-Ude. The Eastern and Western corridors, including the Trans-Baikal territory and, accordingly, the Republic of Tuva, are complementary and can be developed in the implementation of relevant investment projects.
The effectiveness of the economic corridor depends to a large extent on institutional factors,
including the existence of a stakeholder engagement mechanism.
In 2016, the heads of the three States signed the "Program for the creation of the China – Mongolia
– Russia economic corridor" (hereinafter – the Program), which aims to provide conditions for the
development and expansion of trilateral cooperation [11].
The Program provides for the implementation of joint projects aimed at increasing trade, ensuring
the competitiveness of products, facilitating cross-border transport and infrastructure development.
The projects cover the construction of a cross-border highway and railway, the development of
transit transport, the expansion of cooperation in the industrial, energy, tourism, educational and
scientific and technical sectors, in the field of agriculture, environment, health and humanitarian
exchanges.
In accordance with the Program, from each country, the authorized executive bodies responsible
for its implementation are established - the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian
Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, the State Committee for Development and
Reform of the People's Republic of China. The Program contains a general provision on the
mechanism of its implementation: the authorized bodies should meet at least once a year to monitor
the implementation of the Program and projects, as well as to agree on the necessary measures for
their further implementation.

At the same time, at present the Program is a framework document specifying the goals, directions
and principles of interaction. Most of the declared projects are not, in fact, projects. It is necessary to
specify them, to allocate investment projects and to define the list of participants.
The author identifies the main organizational problems of the implementation of the ChinaMongolia-Russia
Economic Corridor Program. First, there are significant difficulties in interaction organizing between stakeholders. It is not always possible to establish cooperation between the state, business structures, public and expert organizations within one country. It is much more difficult to do this at the international level. Moreover, all three participating countries - Russia, Mongolia and
China, vary greatly in economic potential, state structure, development goals and priorities.
Difficulties in interstate communications are significant, as the state languages belong to different
language groups. Secondly, the Program is multidisciplinary and covers issues of interaction in
various fields of activity - from transport infrastructure to humanitarian cooperation. All this
complicates the implementation of the Program and determines the need to create appropriate
mechanisms.
It should be noted that these organizational problems, with all the features in general, are of a
general nature. They were typical for the creation of other economic corridors, including the Great
Mekong, the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation, and the Economic Corridor of
Bangladesh - China - India - Myanmar.
The unique features of the studied economic corridor include:
 participation in the corridor of the two largest countries in the world-Russia and China;
 the transit character of Mongolia;
 a huge length of the territory of one country - Russia.
The large scale of the economic corridor determines the existence of a specific problem of
coordination of activities between the central and regional governments of Russia and China.
3. Results and Discussion
First, it is reasonable to establish a permanent trilateral intergovernmental Commission on the
Implementation of the China – Mongolia – Russia economic corridor Program, headed by high
officials of each country. It should be composed of several sub-commissions (working groups) in the
following areas: transport infrastructure, trade, energy, industry, humanitarian cooperation, etc. This
will allow solving issues of trilateral cooperation between the countries quickly and effectively.
The main task of the tripartite commission will be selection of projects and executors, identification
of funding sources. The projects are expected to be financed from public and private investments, as
well as from the resources of international financial institutions that were established relatively
recently: the Asian Bank for Infrastructure Investments, the New Development Bank of BRICS, the
Interbank Association of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Silk Road Fund. In order
to provide scientific and expert support to the projects, the Association of Expert Centers of Russia,
Mongolia and China (hereinafter - the Association) should be involved in the work of the intergovernmental commission, whose activities should be aimed at collecting, processing and analyzing information on the problems of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor.
Secondly, for the qualitative and timely preparation of documents related to the implementation of
the Program, in each country of the three countries it is necessary to create state commissions for the
implementation of the Program. In our opinion, these commissions could be headed by representatives
of the authorized executive bodies responsible for the implementation of the Program - the Ministry of
Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, and
the State Committee for Development and Reform of the People's Republic of China. The main task of
the commissions could be the preparation of documents for the meetings of the tripartite
intergovernmental commission. Their activities should be aimed at the preparation of specific projects,
the identification of stakeholders, the involvement of specialists and experts, etc.
In order to promptly resolve the issues, the state commissions of Russia and China with the
corresponding state should be located in the regions, most connected with the economic corridor in Ulan-Ude (Russian Federation) and Hohhot (China). The Russian commission should include a plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal Region, governors and heads of interested subjects of the Russian Federation, heads of territorial departments of federal agencies related to the development of the economic corridor, representatives
of the expert center of Russia on the economic corridor. One of the tasks of the Commission should be
coordination of activities for the preparation and implementation of projects between the participants
of the Program-Federal and regional governments, business structures, foreign partners, investors, etc.
Thirdly, it is necessary to build in the system some activities for the implementation of the
Program. The author suggests a sequence of stages in the reverse order in time.
1. The most important event for the implementation of the Program is the meeting of the heads of
Russia, Mongolia and China. In 2014-2017, such meetings were held within the framework of the
summit of the SCO member states.
2. In order to prepare for the summit meetings, in our opinion, it is necessary to create and hold a
tripartite intergovernmental commission for the implementation of the Program with the participation
of representatives of the Association of Expert Centers of China, Mongolia and Russia. It seems
expedient to hold preliminary meetings of think tanks within the framework of the Association Forum.
3. In each participating country the meetings of state commissions should be held for the
implementation of the Program with the participation of representatives of the Association.
4. Preparation of documents for the meeting of the state commission. In each participating country
the collection and preliminary selection of projects and proposals for the implementation of the
Program are to be organized and conducted.
For the successful implementation of the Program, in addition to the institutional mechanism, it is
necessary to determine the financial mechanism, including the involvement of public, private and
international financial institutions. Especially, it is necessary to highlight the legal and regulatory
framework of the Program, paying particular attention to interstate interaction in various fields.
4. Conclusion
The Program for the creation of the economic corridor China-Mongolia-Russia is a large-scale and at
the same time a framework document. The need to fill the Program with concrete projects determines
the urgency of the task of developing mechanisms for its implementation. For coordinated interaction
between the three countries, it is advisable to create a tripartite intergovernmental Commission with
the allocation of sub-commissions in certain areas. It is proposed to organize and streamline the
interaction of the representatives of the Association of Expert Centers of Russia, Mongolia and China
with the authorities of the respective countries.
Creation of clear mechanisms for the implementation of the Program, including the sequence of
organizational arrangements, is a prerequisite for its success.
Acknowledgements
The work was supported by the comprehensive program of fundamental scientific research of the SB

Z Dondokov
Buryat Scientific Centre, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, UlanUde,
Russia
E-mail: dzorikto@mail.ru

RAS No. II.1
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PM 2.5 air-filtration technology installed in Shangri-La Complex and Central Tower www.news.mn

Shangri-La Complex, Ulaanbaatar including the Shangri-La Hotel, Residences, Office, Mall and Central Tower equips its entire property with the latest PM 2.5 air-filtration technology from Honeywell, a company renowned for its refined development in air quality.

Elixir’s Golden Horde acquisition opens up potentially giant gas resource www.finfeed.com

Energy junior, Elixir Petroleum (ASX:EXR), has completed its acquisition of Golden Horde (GOH), and is poised to accelerate exploration of the high-impact Mongolian coalbed methane (CBM) opportunity identified more than a year ago.

Top 10 countries the super-rich call home www.rt.com

Aggregate global wealth grew by $14 trillion, hitting an enormous figure of $317 trillion over the 12 months through the end of October, according to latest Global Wealth Report, revealed by Credit Suisse's Research Institute.
The growth rate of nearly 4.6 percent was reportedly lower than last year, but higher than the average growth rate in the post-2008 era, the report states. Credit Suisse analysts noted that the overall number of individuals whose wealth exceeds $50 million also rose four percent, reaching 149,890 people.

Here is the ranking of the top ten nations where most of the world's ultra-wealthy people live.

10. Australia

The country, washed by the Indian and Pacific oceans, is the world's 13th biggest economy, while the GDP per capita ranks the country sixth among its global peers. Australia is commonly one of the first in ratings monitoring quality of life, health standards and education. Taking into consideration its favorable climatic environment, it's no surprise Australia is home to 2,910 super-rich people.

9. Canada

The country has earned a reputation of a peaceful highly developed place that is free from any ethnic unrest and internal conflicts. Canada is one the ten most actively trading nations. It is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, as well as the Group of Seven. The country has welcomed 3,010 people worth $50 million or more.

8. France

Nuclear and space-faring nation, France is one of the world's biggest economies. The country with huge cultural heritage has been influenced by emigration waves during its entire history. France is now a home for 3,040 super-wealthy individuals.

7. Italy

Though the Eurozone's third-largest nation has recently plunged into deep political and economic crisis, it is still home to 3,220 people whose wealth tops $50 million. Traditionally the country's regions dramatically vary when it comes to the economy. Industrially developed north is commonly set against recessionary south with a flourishing shady economy and stagnating central regions.

6. India

Over the last two decades the economy growth of this vast South Asian country reached 5.5 percent. The rise has made India one of the world's most rapidly prospering economies. The country that is rich in English-speaking professionals has recently attracted many multinational corporations. The mega-wealthy in India number 3,400.

5. Japan

Famous for its high living standards, 3,580 super-rich people call Japan their home. The country's economy is mostly driven by its banking sector, telecom industry, real estate and transport areas, retail businesses and construction sectors. The nation of huge production capability, Japan is famous for its car manufacturers, producers of electronics and steel, ship builders and chemicals and food producers.

4. Britain

The country's service sector is the key driver for its economy, accounting for nearly 75 percent of its GDP. A highly developed banking sector and relatively liberal regulation make the UK, especially its capital – London, one of the world's biggest financial hubs. So, it's not surprising that the country is a home for 4,670 ultra-wealthy residents.

3. Germany

The world leader in most industrial and technological areas, Germany is the third biggest exporter and importer of goods and services. The EU's biggest economy actively supports social welfare and a universal system of healthcare, along with environment protection and free higher education. The number of high net worth individuals living in Germany is 6,320.

2. China

The Chinese economy has been growing incessantly over the last 30 years. China has been successfully developing its own educational system. The country encourages imports of technologies that allow it to develop such progressive areas as software production, new raw materials, telecommunications, biotechnologies and health service. China is home to 16,510 super-wealthy individuals.

1. United States

The world's number one economy is the global leader in many social and economic characteristics, including average wage, human development index, GDP per capita and manufacturing productivity. The United States, whose population accounts for only 4.3 percent of the world's total, owns nearly 40 percent of global wealth. The country tops the list with 70,540 super-wealthy residents.

Mongolia imports China's vegetables www.xinhuanet.com

HOHHOT－At dusk, 32-year-old driver Bideryar from Mongolia drove his refrigerated truck to pick up vegetables in Erenhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the largest port along the China-Mongolia border. "Vegetables from China have brought more choices to our dinner table, and changed our eating habits," he said. "I mainly ate meat in the past, but now, I also eat vegetables imported from China. I am healthier."

Bideryar's sister is a vegetable wholesaler in Ulan Bator, capital of Mongolia. His sister usually sends the list of vegetables needed to the salesman in Erenhot via WeChat and will be notified when the vegetables are ready, upon which Bideryar will leave Ulan Bator for Erenhot.

With a population of about 3 million, Mongolia mainly relies on China for vegetables. "In Mongolia, some people have never even seen some of the vegetables from China, but more and more Mongolians are willing to try them," said Gyiya from Mongolia.

Ganerdeni, 37, has been a driver running between Ulan Bator and Erenhot for 17 years. "I work for many vegetable wholesalers, and the need for vegetables from China in Ulan Bator is far from being met," he said.

Every day, 10 to 20 refrigerated trucks will depart from Ulan Bator and return early in the morning two days later. The fresh vegetables from China will appear on supermarket shelves at night in Ulan Bator, he said.

"But five years ago, a two-way trip would take three to four days due to the shabby dirt road. But now, with a new road built, a one-way trip only takes eight hours," he said.

Additionally, customs time for fruits and vegetables was shortened last year and made a priority to speed up the process. "It takes only several minutes for a truck carrying fruits or vegetables to be cleared by customs," said Zhang Hongwei with Erenhot customs.

Haogang fruit and vegetable import and export company is the largest of its kind between China and Mongolia. It works with over 40 supermarkets and vegetable markets in Mongolia, and exports more than 100,000 metric tons of vegetables and fruits to Mongolia every year.

According to Erenhot customs, 69,000 tons of vegetables were exported in 2017, up 20.6 percent year-on-year.

"In the past, they just bought what we sold, mainly potatoes, onions and cabbages, but now, we sell what they order," said Zhao Long, 49, general manager of the company, who has been working in the trade for more than 20 years.

One of the purchase orders from Mongolia lists 51 kinds of vegetables, 19 kinds of fruits, six kinds of fungi and two spices. "Each listing also has a photo, so if we don't know what something is, the picture can help us figure it out," he said. "For example, we get celery from Shandong, cabbages from Fujian, and onions from Yunnan."

The company has built a base of more than 70 hectares in a village in Erenhot to plant products based on the orders from Mongolia. Other companies in Erenhot are also developing e-commerce to make it possible for customers in Mongolia to receive fresh vegetables they have ordered the same day.

Mongolian engineers making excavator dipper www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Engineering technicians of Baganuur JSC are domestically making hoe dipper of ESH 10/70 excavator themselves. By producing the dipper at home, it is possible to reduce expense for foreign purchases by over 40 percent.

Why is Mongolia overdosing on antibiotics www.ozy.com

Dr. Bill Frankland, a 106-year-old allergy expert, is one of the precious few still alive to remember Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, as well as the warning that followed just eight years later. Franklin recalls, “Fleming said there would be a revolution, but doctors will overuse it, and because bacteria have to survive … they will become resistant to it.”

Fleming’s predictions came true, and the link between antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic use is well established. Countries around the world are still coming to grips with ways of rationing such drugs to limit the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. But it’s not just wealthy Western countries overusing the technology. In fact, according to a World Health Organization survey of 65 countries …

PEOPLE IN MONGOLIA ARE THE WORLD’S MOST PROLIFIC USERS OF ANTIBIOTICS, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 64.4 PEOPLE PER 1,000 ON ANTIBIOTICS ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
Not only that, but Mongolia’s usage was nearly twice as high as the runner-up, Iran, which had an average 38.78 people per 1,000 on antibiotic treatment per day. This doesn’t mean Mongolia has more antibiotics, in terms of volume — that would actually be Turkey, which consumed 1,195.69 metric tons of antibiotics in 2015 — but that those in Mongolia are the most likely to use antibiotics.

Dr. Moazzam Ali, an epidemiologist who’s researched the irrational use of drugs while based at the University of Tokyo, Japan — including the use of non-prescribed antibiotics in Mongolia — says that two of the most common uses of antibiotics in low- and middle-income developing countries is pneumonia and diarrhea. “It might be a simple flu, but they would treat it with antibiotics. This is especially the case when it comes to treating children,” he says. A 2010 study he undertook with other researchers in Mongolia found that 71 percent of children in the 503 households studied were given prescribed antibiotics, and a fifth of them had been given non-prescribed antibiotics as well. Just under half of the caregivers would give children antibiotics for a cough, fever or cold, and a survey showed they largely lacked basic knowledge about the proper use of the drugs.

WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier says higher antibiotic use can be attributed to the “disease pattern” in Mongolia. Respiratory and genitourinary tract infections are the first and fourth leading causes of death in the country, and people use antibiotics to treat both of them. He also cites tuberculosis as a leading problem, including multidrug-resistant strains, which he estimates were behind 8.5 percent of registered new cases of communicable diseases in 2017. “The high burden of communicable diseases contributes to the use and overuse of antibiotics,” he says.

Since 2001, it’s been illegal to supply drugs like penicillin over the counter, but it still happens. While the laws are in place, the regulatory mechanisms for oversight are fragmented and duplicated over different authorities, resulting in weak enforcement.

The number of private pharmacies in the country rose quickly after the Mongolian revolution in 1990 — a country assessment report by the Mongolian Development Research Institute indicated that between 1995 and 2004, the figure nearly increased eightfold from less than 100 to circa 800 — and the introduction of a free-market economy made drugs easier to buy, as they could be bought over the counter.

One 2013 study, by researchers at Curtin University and the Curtin Health Institute in Western Australia, that surveyed 22 pharmacies, 118 doctors and 394 patients in both rural and urban areas of Mongolia even found that practitioners themselves would wrongly prescribe antibiotics in some instances, particularly in urban centers. In rural areas, they have their own problems, with the lack of qualified doctors and drugs being difficult to access, at least the right ones. Ali notes, however, that even traditional healers, found mostly in the countryside, might use antibiotics in whatever concoction they end up making, which could include a number of other drugs.

“When you talk about antimicrobial resistance, it’s knowledge and information that matters; educational status matters,” says Ali, noting that the older generations commonly believe that antibiotics are a cure-all, regardless of whether the person’s condition actually will be helped by taking one.

According to Laura Rogers, deputy director of the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, at George Washington University, doctors have noticed antibiotic resistance building for decades — but 30 years ago, they tended to operate on the belief that new antibiotics could always be created to outmaneuver the bacteria. It wasn’t until a 2014 report on antimicrobial resistance commissioned by the U.K. government that the world really woke up to the problem. And in Mongolia, awareness-raising programs — currently one of WHO’s key priorities — only really started around two years ago.

Mass education is only part of the solution, though. Other key factors would include establishing an effective drug regulatory authority to improve enforcement of the law against non-prescribed drugs and strengthening surveillance systems to get more information about patterns, trends and consumption habits. It’s not only human antibiotic use that should be monitored either: Use of antibiotics in animal feed is also widespread in Mongolia, according to WHO, a practice that has been used globally to hasten production but could have harmful effects for both animal and human health as it breeds drug-resistant germs that can then jump to humans. Livestock accounts for 83 percent of the country’s agricultural sector, and exports of meat rose an estimated 20 percent between 2017 and 2018.

Health professionals are quick to note that the message here is not for people, in Mongolia or elsewhere, to stop taking antibiotics. Countries like Burundi, which had the lowest levels of antibiotic use in the WHO survey, are setting off their own alarm bells. While the overuse of antibiotics is a critical problem, the lack of access for those who need them can’t be ignored either.

Sophia Akram, OZY Author