Mongolia Brief March 27, Part III

Kakuryu hailed as the 71st Yokozuna in history

March 27 (UB Post) The Japan Sumo Association announced that Mongolian sumo wrestler Kakuryu M.Anand became the 71st Yokozuna, the highest title in sumo wrestling.

According to Japan Times report on Wednesday, M.Anand’s promotion was confirmed after the rankings for the summer basho (tournament) in May were decided, followed by a meeting of the Japan Sumo Association’s executive board. Kakuryu, whose birth name is Mangaljalav Anand, is the first to attain the top rank since Harumafuji Byambadorj, also from Mongolia, did so at the 2012 fall basho.

“I am determined to focus all my efforts to train even harder and be certain to give all my strength not to defile the Yokozuna name,” Kakuryu said at a ceremony held at Hoganji Temple in Osaka.
Kakuryu, 28, had 14 victories and one loss in his second consecutive tournament towards his first career title at the recently concluded spring tournament in Osaka.

“I am really determined that I have to give my utmost. I have to become a wrestler who is respected,” he added.

His stable master Izutsu told Japan Times, “It’s great that he made it this far. As a Yokozuna I want him to wrestle as long as he possibly can.”

Kakuryu is the sixth foreign-born wrestler to be promoted to sumo’s highest rank. Three Mongolian-born wrestlers, including Hakuho and Harumafuji, currently sit at the top rank.

Here is a brief interview with the 71st Yokozuna Kakuryu M.Anand.

-Have you had difficult training to compete in the spring tournament? Did you train hard both mentally and physically for the tournament?

-Preparation was good enough. I was also in high spirits.

-How did you feel when you received the Emperor’s Cup?

-I can’t say it through words. I thought about my homeland and first step onto the sumo grounds. I also expressed my gratitude for my parents. I almost shed a tear.

-You met three Yokozunas before. What advice did they give you before and after the tournament?

-I had no opportunity to meet them before the matches. It was extremely nice for me that Yokozuna D.Dagvadorj arrived to watch. I felt he was encouraging me from the bottom of his heart. I was full of intensity and aimed to show how a Mongolian has to be, then I won. After the final match, all three Yokozunas congratulated me and slapped me on my shoulder.

-You have already received the Yokozuna title. What is your goal now?

-I have not thought about my long-term goal yet. I understand that I have to wrestle much better than before.

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Visit by representatives of Ministry of Defense of France

March 27 (UB Post) Chairman of the Standing Committee on Security and Foreign Policy of State Great Khural Ts.Oyunbaatar received Rear Admiral Pascal Ausseur, Chief of the French Joint Staff/European Union/NATO/UN Division, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Mongolia Yves Delune at the Government House, on March 27. They visited the Mongolian Ministry of Defense, National Emergency Management Agency, and General Authority for Border Protection.

At the beginning of the visit, Rear Admiral Ausseur mentioned an interchanging program of officers from Mongolia and France to exchange experiences, and said he is working as Deputy Director in Charge of the DGA Asia-Pacific sub-directorate for the next two years. Ausseur spoke about 20 billion USD in spending for the arms industry, to produce naval, aircraft, and space technology. He emphasized that France is the only country in the European Union that has an independent arms industry. The Admiral expressed his confidence that Mongolia has the opportunity to cooperate in this sector.

Chairman of the Standing Committee Ts.Oyunbaatar said Mongolia and France share hundreds of years of history and next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Ts.Oyunbaatar said that Mongolia is using Russian weapons, but the future will require access to new technology and development of the Mongolian border troops, and emphasized that Mongolia needs a reliable partner country for these upgrades. Ts.Oyunbaatar noted that the Ministry of Defense Mongolia is implementing a program to renew its weapons and technologies within 10 years. This program finishes next year, and the next 10-15 year mid-term program is being drafted now.

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Businesses with the finest surroundings to be awarded

March 27 (UB Post) The Ulaanbaatar Incorporated Public Service Authority (UIPSA) has recently announced the “Development Momentum-2014” competition among companies operating in Ulaanbaatar to improve the city image and promote green development.

The authority hopes to make all businesses and organizations in the city realize their duty to look after the 50 meters radius area surrounding of their buildings as most fulfill their duties poorly.

The winners of the competition will be selected based on three criteria. Firstly, sidewalks or public spaces within the 50 meter radius area must be regularly cleaned from accumulated or loose dusts in summer, and ice and snows in winter. Organizations must also plant greeneries and regularly maintain them.

For the competition, administrators of the UIPSA and inspectors will collect votes from the public., and winners will be named on December 15.

The first place will receive 15 million MNT cash prize, the second place will receive 10 million MNT, while the third place winner will be granted five million MNT.

The competition will be held every year to instill the habit of maintaining surrounding areas by businesses and organizations.

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Mongolian and Chinese business operators meet

March 27 (UB Post) Mongolian and Chinese business operators and investors met on Thursday at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The event, organized by the Mongolian Job Provider’s Union, was attended by more than 120 Mongolian and Chinese business delegates.

At the event, Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag remarked, “The recent changes made to the investment legal environment of Mongolia has made the investment climate more stable and understandable for business operators, and diminished bureaucracy and further hustle in doing business.”

He also noted that foreign and domestic investors will be viewed from the same angle and given equal opportunity.

During the meeting, Chinese business delegates noted the improvements made to Mongolia’s investment environment and said that it provides more opportunity for foreign businesses. But they also noted that it provides more opportunity for new investors, while the interests of longstanding relations have been forgotten. The Chinese delegation asked the Mongolian state to be more flexible in this matter, especially in regards to Chinese employment import quotas and land issues that are constantly present.

The Mongolian side noted that the amount of coal exports and prices are low and that renegotiations need to be made.

The Chinese delegation noted that although China’s demand for coal has decreased, it has made no changes to its importation amount, and that they are ready to assist Mongolia in improving the competitiveness of its coal production, especially in regards to its quality.

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D.Todnombat : Bringing Mongolian cosmetic surgery to global standards is our purpose

March 27 (UB Post) There was a time when Mongolians considered only eyelid surgery as cosmetic surgery. But it has changed now. Whereas some people go to highly developed countries for cosmetic surgery, there are many women that prefer Mongolian cosmetic surgery instead, as it is reasonably priced and performed at a professional level.

We spoke with D.Todnombat, operating surgeon of Tod Kannam Cosmetic Surgery Hospital, about the current and future trends in this industry.

-Public understanding of cosmetic surgery has changed compared to previous years, and when your hospital was established. What kind of surgeries does your hospital conduct?

-It has been a year since our hospital was established. Since that time, we have had our own customers. Our hospital is a cosmetic surgery hospital, so we conduct reconstructive surgery and all kinds of cosmetic surgeries.

-What kind of services do your customers mostly choose? How marketable is cosmetic surgery?

-Recently, girls and women are paying more attention to non-surgical procedures to become beautiful. Skin tightening injections and face lifting with threads are the most popular among women.

- What is the difference between reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery?

People consider cosmetic surgery as eyelid operations, nose, lips, mouth and breast surgery. Generally, they think it is a way of looking nice. But this is just one part of this branch. Reconstructive surgery is one of the branches of medical science. Medical science is divided into internal organs, the nervous system, cardiovascular system and so on, and in the same way, cosmetic surgery is divided and specialized. Plastic surgery is one part of it. That is why people can’t define creating a higher nose and increasing breast size as all there is to cosmetic surgery. Improving reconstructive surgery and making it more technical in Mongolia is our hospital’s purpose . Unfortunately, here there are not specialists and schools in this field of medical science. For that reason, I established my hospital to develop this field after I studied in Korea. Besides conducting cosmetic surgery and looking nice, we conduct reconstructive surgery that originates from any injuries. Making a higher nose is not only cosmetic surgery. It includes both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Making the nose nice is cosmetic surgery and fixing a nose injury or a curved nose is reconstructive surgery.

-For now, if you compare Mongolian cosmetic surgery with other countries, what level has it reached? What are the difficulties facing this surgery?

-This branch is a relatively new branch, so to make its foundation better, we have to invite and employ foreign specialists where cosmetic surgery has been developing very well and learn from them. There are many surgeries that are impossible to conduct. For instance, reconstructive surgeries such as jaw and cheekbone surgery, and birth defects. These difficulties are faced because of the lack of specialists and equipment. So, we have to prepare trained staff and specialists overseas. Cosmetic surgery can be very expensive. If we can improve the field, expenses will decrease.

-For hospitals, equipment is really important in addition to the specialists. The capacity of a hospital’s equipment must be powerful. What about your hospital?

-It is really hard to imagine conducting cosmetic surgery without its equipment. Very small micro-elements of surgery are done by the equipment and some of them have silk-thin points. We have a fat aspiration apparatus, reconstructive and fat melting apparatus.

-There is talk that some people have become victims and that overseas specialists who work in Mongolia have poor qualifications. What do you think about this issue? Where are your consultant doctors from and what are their professional skills?

-When society develops more, people also try to go with this development. In order to look nice and be confident, people have surgery. This is social phenomena. Countries where the cosmetic surgery has developed well also faced the same problems as us. Surgery is not an easy thing. Cosmetic surgery is really hard and every surgery has risks. That is why there is a standard. If we conduct surgery according to standards, there will not be any difficulty. Becoming a victim of cosmetic surgery depends on doing or using the wrong things. In Korea, there are many cosmetic surgery hospitals and surgeons, and it is really competitive. So, there can be such gossip. But about our hospital, our consultant doctors are my teachers and professors of joint hospital and universities.

-Compared to previous times, people have stopped using silicone. Besides increasing breast size, does your hospital increase the size of lips and buttocks? What kind of material do you use instead of silicone?

-The materials used in cosmetic surgery have been changing constantly. Silicone is not being used since it causes cancer. So, implants that are used for increasing the size of breasts and buttocks have been updated. We are using something gel-based instead. And we advise that people not have lip surgery because silicone in the lips doesn’t look so nice, and after a certain time, it loses its shape.

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Art created with recycled materials: ‘Less Rubbish, More Process’

March 27 (UB Post) Red Ger Art Gallery is hosting a mixed-media art exhibition displaying art pieces made of rubbish and recycled materials, from March 19 to April 2.

Supported by Rio Tinto LLC, the exhibition, “Less Rubbish, More Process” was initiated by the Mongolian Art Council.

Contemporary installation work, photography and video were created by seven young artists using and featuring recycled materials.

The exhibition supports environmental conservation, reducing waste and promoting recycling. The exhibition includes sculpture, installation, and videos featuring or fully created from recycled materials.

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Mongolia eyes wind energy potential

March 27 (UB Post) By Paulius Kuncinas
Regional Editor,
Oxford Business Group

With demand for electricity on the rise, and a national drive to boost renewable power production gathering strength, investor interest in Mongolia’s fledgling wind energy industry looks set to grow.
The government aims for renewable sources to account for at least 20 percent of power generation capacity by 2020, up from three percent today. It is also keen to export renewable energy, although significant investment will be required if Mongolia is to achieve its objectives.

Second wind farm deal sealed

On February 19, the German firm, Ferrostaal Industrial Projects, announced plans to invest 120 million USD in the Sainshand wind farm project, which is located in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. Managing director Klaus Lesker said the company would take on the role of project developer, while working with local partners to boost foreign investment. A power purchase agreement and operating licences have already been signed. Once completed, the 52-MW facility will provide power for the national distributor.

Operations at the wind farm, Mongolia’s second such venture, are expected to begin in late 2015. The country’s first wind energy facility, a 50-MW farm located to the south of the capital in Salkhit, is run by Clean Energy, a renewable energy company jointly owned by Mongolian conglomerate Newcom, General Electric Pacific, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Netherlands Development Finance Company. The 120 million USD venture began operating in mid-2013 and feeds into the national grid.

Wind and solar combined account for around five percent of Mongolia’s 955-MW installed capacity, Ministry of Energy figures show. With the ministry forecasting peak demand to reach 2321 MW by 2020, the country will require significant investments in generation capacity over the coming several years.

While coal-fired plants – which account for the vast majority of capacity – are being upgraded and expanded, one alternative is to build additional wind farms. In an interview given to OBG, B. Unenbat, the CEO of Newcom, described local wind resources as “good-to-excellent, equivalent to 1100 GW of wind electric potential”.

Further government incentives may be necessary to boost investment, however. The state has already introduced initiatives such as feed-in tariffs for producers at above-market rates over extended terms. Last year also saw an easing of restrictions on foreign investment.

According to Unenbat, an increase in public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the energy sector could help the country secure its energy independence. “Mongolia’s private and public sectors need to increase cooperation and collaboration to ensure we are all on the same page, with clear and defined roles for each project, creating a win-win scenario for all parties,” he commented.

Looking east

Mongolia has, in addition, set its sights on carving a niche as a distribution centre for renewable energy. President Elbegdorj last year mapped out plans to utilise the country’s wind energy resources as a means of exporting power to China and elsewhere in Asia.

Taiwan is also keen to tap the industry’s potential, signing a memorandum of understanding with Mongolia on renewable energy development in February, which set out terms for establishing strategic partnerships in the sector, building links and promoting greater use of wind and solar power.

While Taiwan will be providing training to Mongolian officials in energy sector management, Taipei is also focusing on the investment and business opportunities that are opening up. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement that the agreement would allow local companies greater access to an “extensive market” with vast renewable energy sources.

Addressing pollution

Mongolia’s drive to diversify its energy sources stems from both rising demand and an awareness of the damage inflicted on the country’s ecosystem by fossil fuels.

Many Mongolians use coal for household heating, which exacerbates the problem. The World Bank estimates that pollution rates in the capital of Ulaanbaatar are among the highest in the world.

The knock-on effects of Mongolia’s pollution problems are evident. According to the UN Environment Programme, average temperatures have risen by 2.1 degree Celsius over the past six or seven decades, approximately three times faster than the global average. Concerns are growing that higher temperatures could, in the future, lead to a loss of pastureland, a permafrost thaw and glacial melting.
A drive to boost growth across Mongolia’s renewable energy sector will help address these issues, while providing opportunities for companies along the supply and management chain.

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