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The General Election Commission (GEC) on May 17 certified the last of three party Presidential nominees when they approved former Independent MP S. Ganbaatar as the substitute nominee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), a break-away resource-nationalist faction of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP) established as a separate party in 2010. On May 14, the GEC certified Parliament Speaker M. Enkhbold as the candidate of the ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) and former MP and Olympic judo champion Kh. Battulga as the Democratic Party nominee but rejected the MPRP's nomination of party chairman and former Mongolian President N. Enkhbayar, [...]

Mongolian Ambassador to the US Bulgaa Altangerel and the World Bank hosted "Mongolian Heritage Day" at World Bank headquarters in Washington DC, which featured cultural performances, traditional music and a solo exhibition by artist Tsolmon Damba entitled "The Nomad Spirit." The event was part of the year-old commemoration of the 30th anniversary of US-Mongolia relations. Dignitaries at the opening of the two-day event on May 16 included Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Laura Stone, Jason Allford, World Bank executive director representing Mongolia, and officials of the US Defense Department, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. Born in Northern Mongolia, [...]

Despite prior reports that it might be canceled because of budget austerity measures affecting Ulaanbaatar City and the Mongolian Government, the long-anticipated Ulaanbaatar visit of the world-famous Philadelphia Orchestra (PO) will definitely take place during June 1-5 as a major component of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of US-Mongolia relations. The Philadelphia Orchestra will be the first Western orchestra to perform in Mongolia as part of an East Asia tour that also includes China and South Korea. The musicians will be accompanied by a group of 15 prominent Pennsylvania business leaders who are patrons of the PO. This visit [...]

The American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS), one of the leading Mongolia-focused NGOs in North America, seeks a US-based “entrepreneurial Executive Director who can lead the development of new programs and projects to support the organization’s mission to further academic studies and exchanges with Mongolia and Inner Asia.”  Applications and inquiries should be sent to: [email protected]. The ACMS ideally wants the new Executive Director to start July 1, 2017. Review of applications will begin on June 1 and continue until the position is filled. Work location and terms will be determined on an individual basis but potentially the new Executive [...]

The State Great Khural swiftly repealed the highly controversial provision in the revised Budget Law that would have required foreign companies to deposit foreign exchange sales revenues in Mongolian banks. The troublesome provision is variously called Resolution 29 or Subclause 11. Repeal clears the way for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board of directors to again consider the Mongolia assistance package, which was removed from the IMF board's April 28 agenda because of concerns about the banking provision.The mandatory bank deposit clause was not part of the Government's original bill introduced in parliament but was inserted by MPs during Budget [...]

The Second Annual Business Summit on June 19 in Ulaanbaatar -- sponsored by the Business Council of Mongolia (BCM), the NAMBC's brother organization in Mongolia -- will focus on understanding the increasing business opportunities for domestic and foreign investors offered by regional economic integration offers. Links to the agenda and registration form follow below. Registration fees for BCM members are MNT 400,00; for non-members, MNT 600,000. For more information, including sponsorship opportunities, contact Buyanbat at [email protected]. For registration inquiries, contact Tugi at [email protected] The conference will take place at the historic Ikh Tenger complex in the Bogd Khan National Park, which is [...]

The second compact of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) with Mongolia will spend US$10.5 million to increase water supply for Ulaanbaatar, home to half the nation's population, with emphasis on improving sanitation and water supply in ger districts. To discuss the new compact, Ms. Fatema Z. Sumar, MCC's Regional Deputy Vice President, headed an MCC delegation to UB, May 8-9, for consultations with Ulaanbaatar Mayor S.Batbold, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ts. Munkh-Orgil, Minister of Environment and Tourism D. Oyunkhorol, Deputy Minister of Finance Kh. Bulgantuya and other officials. Ms. Sumar previewed the second compact in her remarks at the NAMBC's [...]

Former U.S. Ambassadors to Mongolia Joseph Lake and Alphonse LaPorta have received the Order of the Polar Star, and Thomas Garrett, Vice President of the International Republican Institute (IRI), the Mongolian Friendship Medal, by order of His Excellency Ts. Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia.  Mongolian Ambassador to the US Bulgaa Altangerel presented the medals at a special ceremony at the Mongolian Embassy in Washington, DC, on April 28, the day after all three honorees had addressed the NAMBC’s 27th Annual Meeting and Investors Forum. Ambassador Joseph E. Lake was the first resident U.S. Ambassador in Mongolia, 1990-1993. Currently he is a [...]

On May 8, the Oyu Tolgoi LLC Board of Directors announced the election of Armando Torres as Oyu Tolgoi’s new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Andrew Woodley, who had served as Oyu Tolgoi CEO since October 2014.  Stephen Jones, OT’s Acting CEO, will become Chief Operating Officer. Torres will take up his post on August 1.  Previously, Torres was Chief Operations Officer of the bauxite and alumina division at Rio Tinto Alcan since February 2011. He has also served since 2016 as Managing Director of Oyu Tolgoi. Torres started his career in 1990 as a process engineer and was subsequently promoted [...]

MIAT Airlines, Mongolia’s national carrier, has signed long term leases for two new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with delivery expected in late 2019 and early 2020. US Ambassador Jennifer Galt and Scott Grimsby, Boeing Asia Sales Director and a member of the NAMBC board of directors, participated in the signing ceremony in Ulaanbaatar with MIAT CEO Tamir Tumurbaatar in late March. The lease was finalized by Air Lease Corporation on April 18.  These brand-new Boeing planes continue MIAT’s commitment to an all-Boeing fleet as the airline continues to expand their route network in East Asia. Last year, MIAT executives [...]