Mongolia Brief July 23, 2014 Part I



President attends Mongolia-Japan business forum
Ulaanbaatar, July 23 (MONTSAME) The President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj Tuesday addressed a Mongolia-Japan business forum in Tokyo in frames of his working visit to this country.

The forum, hosted by the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (KEIDANREN), has brought together 320 business delegates of Mongolia and Japan.
Mr Elbegdorj said Mongolia maintained close relations with Japan at momentous historical junctures. “For instance, in early years of building the Great Mongol Empire Yuan, Khubilai Khaan sent a letter to the Emperor of Japan; in 1911, an envoy was sent to Japan by the Holy Bogd Gegeen Jebzundamba asking for official recognition of Mongolia’s independence. In early 1990s--the hard years of transition from a socialist to a democratic society--the first President of Mongolia Mr  P.Ochirbat and the Prime Minister Mr D.Byambasuren sent a letter to the Government of Japan asking for an all-around support and assistance. All of these acts testify the sustained and lasting interest of the peoples of Mongolia and Japan for friendship and cooperation,” Elbegdorj said.
The President expressed gratitude to Japan and its people for the unwavering support to Mongolia’s democracy since the very start, and thanked Japan for not only recognizing Mongolia’s independence, but also for its strenuous support in efforts to have Mongolia’s democracy recognized by other countries and international organizations in Asia and the Pacific and enrolled in the latter's membership.
“Mongolian people’s wisdom teaches to always remember and appreciate the good others do to you. Mongolians will never forget your helping hand, your presence at the moments of hardship. There is one very special feature in the help and assistance of the people of Japan. That is, Japan’s aid and support have always been timely, relevant and apt.
"We do always remember with warmth and gratitude that these were the people of Japan who stretched their arms of help when Mongolia was about to freeze when our power stations ailed and stopped; when the public transportation in Ulaanbaatar came to sit idle, when our fire and first aid machines went out of order, when our children had not enough schools and kindergartens to attend,” he said.
“This year sees the end of grant aid from Japan to Mongolia. From now on our two countries are entering a new era of mutually beneficial cooperation. The money the Japanese taxpayers had been giving the Mongolian people were instrumental and vital in overcoming the difficulties and challenges of development. Mongolia, which was like a just-born foal in 1990, has grown up and matured today. In the past few years our GDP has grown several-fold. The engine of our economic growth – the private sector – has firmly stood up on its legs. The time has come now to advance our bilateral economic relations to a new level, and it is precisely within these premises that we are meeting in Tokyo today,” he went on.
"Although Mongolia and Japan have been continuously fostering bilateral relations, the scope of the cooperation has been very narrow and limited to merely a handful of companies, he noted. The bilateral trade turnover comprises only some 100 million USD. The Japanese FDI to Mongolia barely reaches half a billion USD, he said.
The he recalled how he addressed parliament of Japan in 2010, saying ”the time has come, let’s wake up”. “I wish to repeat those words today. We now have all preconditions set for translating into reality those words. We have agreed to establish an Economic Partnership Agreement. I am delighted to inform you that Prime Minister Abe and I will sign tonight a Joint Statement affirming our agreement to establish the Economic Partnership Agreement”.
The two countries have been able to reach an agreement to establish the EPA after 4 years of talks. The EPA provides the legal basis and environment to boost bilateral economic cooperation. It draws a dramatically renewed landscape for successful and mutually beneficial economic cooperation between Mongolia and Japan.
“Let us study together, produce together, and market together. We have reached an agreement with our Japanese counterparts that our governments support the efforts of our private sectors to implement this call. Mongolia is a uniquely situated country. We border with two countries with the largest population and with the largest territory. Developing cooperation with Mongolia is consonant with the aspiration to reach out to these two huge markets together,” highlighted the President Elbegdorj.
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Ts.Elbegdorj and Shinzo Abe sign a joint statement
July 23 (news.mn) Mongolia`s President Ts.Elbegdorj and Japan`s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had an official talk and sign a joint statement on July 22nd.
According to the joint statement, it announced that Mongolia and Japan reached an economic partnership agreement.
“I want to mark that two countries reached bilateral economic partnership agreement. Now Mongolia has become the 15th country which would sign economic partnership with Japan.” Shinzo Abe said at a joint press conference following their summit meeting in Tokyo on July 22, 2014.
The statement included support for signing the agreement and cooperating to implement the deal together. Japan also pledged to provide support for facilitating Mongolia's exports and sustainable economic development.
President Ts.Elbegdorj noted that summit meeting was held in very friendly atmosphere  and expressed gratitude that bilateral relations between two countries are enriched with economic relations.  President Ts.Elbegdorj said that ”I believe bilateral economic partnership agreement would be implemented successfully. We agreed to study, produce and sell together”.
The deal will bring the bilateral economic relations to the new stage if the economic partnership agreement is signed in the first quarter in 2015. And the parliaments of both countries will decide whether or not to give approval to the agreement early next year.
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Press briefing called on President’s visit
Ulaanbaatar, July 23 (MONTSAME) After the official talks and signing of the joint statement on Tuesday, the President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj and the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe called a press briefing.
”I am earnestly delighted to host President Elbegdorj in Japan. Mr President and I are unanimous about the need to deepen economic relations in order to strengthen our strategic partnership,” the Premier Mr Abe was quoted by the President's website.
"Our countries signed a joint statement which highlights the following three principles. First, we commend the successful holding of talks on Economic Partnership Agreement and reaching an agreement in principle. The Japan-Mongolia Economic Partnership Agreement shall mark the 15th EPA for Japan after the recently signed one with Australia. It is the first Economic Partnership Agreement for Mongolia, and it is a very important one to elevate our economic relations to higher levels, promoting mutually complementary cooperation. In the near term, we shall work together to expedite the signing and ratification of the Japan-Mongolia EPA.
"Second, I put forward the ERCH Plus initiative, aimed at supporting industrial diversification and export promotion in Mongolia, and the initiative was supported. I proposed this cooperation initiative during my visit to Mongolia in March last year. This initiative will help expanding value-added and competitive exports.
"Third, accepting the request to cooperate in conducting economic structural reforms and implementing transparent and stable economic policies, Japan proposed appointing an economic advisor. Through such a mechanism, we will be able to contribute to Mongolia’s mid- and long-term economic policy development.
“We are committed to strengthening mutually beneficial, mutually complementary strategic partnership with Mongolia,” Mr Abe highlighted.
The President Elbegdorj said:”H.E. Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and I have just held officials talks, in nice and friendly atmosphere. I am profoundly happy that the strategic partnership between our two countries is being fortified with wider economic partnership content. The Economic Partnership Agreement which the two parties agreed in principle, will provide a firm and stable legal environment to boost bilateral economic and investment ties. In our economic relations, we propose to explore the opportunities together, to produce together and to aspire markets together.
"Under this spirit, today we held a large business summit in Tokyo. Mongolian economy, our investment environment and opportunities were widely featured at the summit, which brought together close to 500 businessmen of the Mongolian and Japanese private sectors. 
"Mongolia’s bilateral relations with Japan are one of Mongolia’s foreign policy priorities, which are fully consistent with our national interests, with our development interests."

State Secretary of Defense Ministry visits Turkey
Ulaanbaatar, July 23 (MONTSAME) A delegation headed by Major-General Z.Boldbaatar, the State Secretary of the Defense Ministry, visited Turkey on July 19-23.
The Mongolian and the Turkish sides concluded a realization of works reflected in a cooperation memorandum of defense industrial bodies, and determined further goals. Mongolia is ready to collaborate with Turkey in augmenting a quota of our staffers to study in Turkey and in developing the military industries, the Major-General said and conveyed to the Turkish side greetings of Mongolia’s Defense Minister.
More than 150 servicemen have been educated in Turkey, two of them have been awarded the General title, he noted.
After this, a deputy head of the Technique-Technology and Planning Department of Turkey’s Ministry of Defense Brigadier-General Mustafa Avci received the delegation to introduce to them the Ministry’s structure and actions. Afterwards, the Mongolians were informed on profiles of the companies who cooperate with the Turkish Defense Ministry. 

Deputy Premier gives obligations to working group
Ulaanbaatar, July 23 (MONTSAME) The Deputy Prime Minister and head of Mongolia’s side of the Mongolia-Russia intergovernmental commission D.Terbishdagva Wednesday received members of the working group entitled to prepare for marking the 75th anniversary of the Khalkh River Battle Victory.
He stressed that key aims of the anniversary are to propagandize a historical value of the Victory of the Khalkh River Battle, to fortify the long-year friendly relations between Mongolia and Russia, to pay tribute to war veterans, to promote the patriotism, and to inherit the victory’s pride to the next generations.
This anniversary will be celebrated from August 22 to September 9 of 2014. The Russian leader Putin is expected to visit Mongolia in a first week of September.

Stock exchange news for July 23
Ulaanbaatar, July 23 (MONTSAME) At the Stock Exchange trades held Wednesday, a total of 3,058 shares of 18 JSCs were traded costing MNT 17 million 669 thousand and 878.50.
"Shivee ovoo” /1,685 units/, "APU” /548 units/, "Baganuur” /228 units/, "Kherlen khivs” /216 units/ and "Tav” /70 units/ were the most actively traded in terms of trading volume, in terms of trading value--"Shivee ovoo” (MNT nine million 267 thousand and 500), "UB hotel” (MNT two million 952 thousand and 900), "APU” (MNT two million 137 thousand and 700), "Tav” (MNT one million and 470 thousand) and "Baganuur” (MNT 829 thousand and 210).
The total market capitalization was set at MNT one trillion 616 billion 309 million and 719. The Index of Top-20 JSCs was 16,188.22, decreasing by MNT 208.64 or 1.27% against the previous day.

How much is to travel abroad?
Ulaanbaatar, July 23 (MONTSAME) The money spent by Mongolians in tourism and travels have been calculated by City’s Tourism Department, National Center of Tourism and the Bank of Mongolia.
The survey was conducted randomly among seven tourism enterprises, 697 people who traveled abroad by airplanes and 324 who traveled to China through the Zamyn-Uud border checkpoint.
A majority of the Mongolian travelers visited China, South Korea and Japan, others visited Thailand, India, Singapore and Qatar. A gender ratio of the travelers is quite balanced, most of them are people aged 30-39.
In terms of purpose of the traveling, 44% went abroad for tours and leisure, 32%--for business and official works, and 12%--for medical services and diagnosis. Moreover, 13% of the all travelers organized their visits through tourism companies, 87%--arranged everything themselves.
The Mongolians mostly spend less than 30 days abroad, exploit approximately 1,622 US dollars per person. The largest amount of money was spent by the travelers to the USA and Canada, the lowest amount of cash--by travelers to Russia.

Mongolian football team to play with Guam
Ulaanbaatar, July 23 (MONTSAME) The national football team of Mongolia is competing in a preliminary-round tournament of the 2015 East Asia Football Championship which kicked off July 21 in Guam.
Other participants are the teams of Guam, Macau and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A winner will be qualified to play with the national teams of Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong and of North Korea at the second-stage events.
The Mongolians have already got three points by defeating Northern Mariana Islands with 4:0 at a game on July 21. The same day, Guam and Macau ended in a draw (0:0). In accordance with the schedule, the next opponent of Mongolia will be Guam.
After one game, our team is leading the tournament with three points, followed by Guam, Macau (1 point each) and Northern Mariana Islands (no point).  
The tournament will continue until July 25. 
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