Mongolia Brief December 22, 2014 Part II

Mongolia and India to Deepen Cooperation in Better Management of Border Security

December 22 (infomongolia.com) According to Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India, Mongolian delegates led by Head of General Authority for Border Protection (GABP), Brigadier General Sharkhuu LKHACHINJAV have conducted a working visit to India on December 14-21, 2014.

On December 19, Brigadier General Sh.Lkhachinjav called on the Minister of Home Affairs of India, Mr. Shri Rajnath Singh and during the meeting, Home Minister Rajnath Singh noted that India and Mongolia need increased cooperation for effective prevention and detection of crime with the growth of global terrorism, transnational crimes such as drug trafficking, smuggling of illegal arms and ammunition.

Home Minister also stated that India has always shared strong historical, cultural and spiritual ties with Mongolia and the diplomatic relations with Mongolia are almost 60 years old.

Moreover, the Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured all possible help to Mongolian General Authority for Border Protection like assistance in capacity building in the areas of special operations, cyber security, IT and computers, weapons and tactics, bomb disposal, disaster management etc., and stated that India can train Mongolian officers in these areas.

The Union Home Minister further stated that both Mongolian and Indian Border Security Forces work in similar terrains and face similar challenges and both the forces can learn from the best practices in border management followed by each force. Border management in high altitude and cold regions and deserts can be one of the areas of focus, he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh said that both nations can help each other in better management of borders through exchange of Technology, Equipment and Methodology of Border Management. The Home Minister said that there is a need of joint exercises between GABP and BSF in Operational, Training and Technology Exchange.

The Head of GABP of Mongolia, Brig. Gen. Sh.Lkhachinjav, Secretary Border Management, Smt. Sneh Lata Kumar, Director General, BSF, Shri D.K. Pathak and other senior officers from MHA, BSF and GABP were present on the occasion.

In 2015, Mongolia and the Republic of India are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, which was inked back on December 24, 1955.

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Mongolia-Czech Business Forum to Take Place in Prague

December 22 (infomongolia.com) Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with Mongolia Invest Agency and the Embassy of Mongolia in Prague, Czech Republic are organizing Mongolia-Czech Business Forum in Prague on January 18-20, 2015.

In the frameworks of Mongolia-Czech Business Forum, issues of main sectors in bilateral trade and investment will be considered and provided with opportunities to host one-to-one meeting between entrepreneurs as well as round-table meeting and familiarize with Czech industries on the site.

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Related:

Mongolia-Czech Business Forum Approaches – Montsame, December 22

Nine sets of nine days of Mongolian winter begins

December 22 (news.mn) Mongolians traditionally classify the winter season into nine sets of nine days in order to interpret forecasts from ancient times.

Today nine sets of nine days starts according to the Mongolian lunar calendar, on December 22nd. Even before the founding of the National Agency for Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment Monitoring in Mongolia, Mongolians used the physics of the freezing point to measure winter cold, which lasts for 81 days, or nine sets of nine days of winter.

Each set of nine days has its own behavior of weather conditions progressing from the winter solstice (around December 22) through to the Lunar New Year and the first days of spring. The description for each set of the nine days is much talked about among Mongolians.

The day when the first set of nine days is marked begins with the shortest day and longest night of the year. However, the nine sets of nine days begins today, with a  temperature high of -6 C and low of -20 C.

Nine sets of nine days:

What happens during the first set of nine days?  12/22-12/30
Homemade Mongolian milk vodka freezes

What happens during the second set of nine days? 12/31-I/8
Vodka freezes

What happens during the third set of nine days? I/9-I/17
Horns of three-year-old oxen freeze

What happens during the fourth set of nine days? I/18-I/26
Horns of four-year-old oxen freeze

What happens during the fifth set of nine days? I/27-2/4
Rice will not congeal

What happens during the sixth set of nine days? 2/5-2/13
Road gets black under the snow

What happens during the seventh set of nine days? 2/14-2/22
Hilltops blacken

What happens during the eighth set of nine days? 2/23-3/2
Ground becomes muddy

What happens during the ninth set of nine days? 3/3-3/12
Warm days come in

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Ulaanbaatar to host international badminton

December 22 (news.mn) Ulaanbaatar is to host the Badminton World Federation's Level 4 International Badminton Tournament in September 2015. It is a part of the international circuit of badminton tournament qualifying events for the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics.

It has been decided that Mongolian jurors M.Zolzaya, E.Erdenebayar and O.Ishkhuu will be involved in training for the international jury in 2015. The training will be conducted in Sanya, China, during the China Open Tournament.

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Head of the Authority for Fair Competition and Consumer Protection resigns

December 22 (news.mn) Head of the Authority for Fair Competition and Consumer Protection O.Magnai held a press conference about his resignation today, December 22nd.

O.Magnai stated, "I no longer want to work with a government that ignored democratic values and bargained the appointments of deputy ministers. I do not want to work with new Deputy Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh." 

O.Magnai explained the reasoning for his decision: “First of all, the new government has been formed against democratic values, without opposition. The society we try to build should have a government whose opposition monitors it. That some parties allied with the government based on ministerial post bargaining shows conspiracy at the highest level. This is against my beliefs and principles. Secondly, I do not want to work with Deputy Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh. Our values, principles, and morals are not shared. A fake democracy that will cause more damage and harm to society is a reality now.”

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Students Awarded President’s Scholarships

By B. Khuder

Ulaanbaatar, December 22 (MONTSAME) In accordance with a decree of the President, the scholarships named after President Elbegdorj have been given to 15 students.

Head of the Presidential Office P.Tsagaan Monday gave the certificates to the scholarship recipients who study at Mongolia's State University, University of Agriculture, State University of Culture and Arts, National University of Medical Sciences, the Khovd aimag-based MSU branch university, the “Mandakh burtgel” institute and the “Shikhikhutug” law institute.

During the ceremony, Mr Tsagaan said the President’s scholarships are given for successful participation in university scientific conferences and for showing big successes at international fields.

"Educated and healthy Mongolians are the engine of the Mongolian development. Youths must understand that the education is the only path to reach goals," he said. "We trust in you to lead Mongolia. We urge all the Mongolian students to gain brilliant successes like you did," he added. 

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"Justice" Coalition Appeals to Organizations Not to Celebrate New Year

By B. Khuder

Ulaanbaatar, December 22 (MONTSAME) "In difficult times of the national economy, it is not good for state organizations to celebrate New Year spending the budget money, and our faction intends to appeal to all related bodies, said N.Battsereg, the head of the "Justice" coalition's faction in parliament on Monday.

After this, the faction's regular meeting focused on two key bills--on public hearing, submitted by the President to parliament, and on Lombard banking service, presented by G.Uyanga MP. The gathered received a report on the draft on public hearing from Ch.Onorbayar, an advisor to the President on legal police, and considered as necessity to back this bill and to convey some proposals to the initiator.

The bill on giving loans by Lombard banking was also backed by the faction. "In times of the economic hardship people need cash through lombard services, so this draft is a well-timed one considering a need in regulating of the related relations and in prevent people’s interests," the faction members said.  

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Asia Foundation Co-Hosts Second Annual Mongolian Nat'l Conference

By B. Amarsaikhan

Ulaanbaatar, December 22 (MONTSAME) The Office of the President of Mongolia and The Asia Foundation have co-hosted the second annual national workshop of the Fostering Civic Engagement at the Sub-national Level (FOCE) project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

It ran at the President’s Citizen Hall on December 20. The workshop brought together 90 national and local government actors, civil society stakeholders, and locals from the FOCE pilot sites in 17 soums.  The discussions focused on sharing experiences in increasing citizens' participation at the local level.

Mr. L.Dashdorj, an advisor to the President for Economic Policy and Citizens Engagement, noted:“Given the passing of the 2015 State Budget by parliament last week, this conference is timely to ensure that planning for the prioritization of local development funds include considerable input from citizens".

The goal of the program is to increase the transparency and accountability of local governments and to contribute to more responsive local government policy-making and service provision for citizens, supporting the President’s agenda for direct democracy and fiscal decentralization. Local governments are being supported to increase civic participation in decision-making through small grants and technical assistance. This has helped establish fully-equipped Citizen Halls in all sites and supported a regular agenda of public consultations. On the citizens' side, training and support have been provided so that citizens understand better the role and responsibility of local government, how to advocate for their interests, and how to demand better services.

The workshop will allow stakeholders to share experiences and learning on participatory practices in the Mongolian context. Representatives from the pilot sites shared their own experiences on social accountability and the use of citizens score card measurement processes,  how to effectively disseminate information to citizens living in remote locations, addressing issues of women’s under representation in local authorities, and strategies to reach underserved communities including the youth, persons with disabilities and unemployed, reports the Asia Foundation.

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