Country Profile
From The Report: Mongolia 2013
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With a population of 2.8m inhabiting its wind-swept, grassy steppes and vast expanses of desert, Mongolia is the world’s most sparsely populated country. Its primary religion is Buddhism, though it is estimated that 40% of the population does not practise religion. Ninety per cent of the population speaks Mongolian, most using the Khalkha Mongol dialect, which shares lineage with Turkic, Japanese and Korean languages. Nomadic tradition, particularly the herding of livestock, remains one of the biggest influences on the national culture. In 1990, Mongolia abandoned a single-party communist dictatorship and adopted a mixed presidential-parliamentary system. The nation continues to emerge as a key centre for mining investment, with a wide variety of important mineral reserves, and also offers potential in a variety of other sectors, including telecoms and IT, agriculture, transportation and logistics.

This chapter includes interviews with President Ts. Elbegdorj, Prime Minister N. Altankhuyag, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Bob Carr and Russian Federation Ambassador Victor V. Samoilenko.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

At a crossroads: The twin task of advancing political and market reforms
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Some 22 years after holding its first multi-party elections, contemporary Mongolia has achieved much in the political arena, with a democratic culture established seeking peaceful means in the resolution of disputes and conflicts. In recent years, this has gone hand in hand with greater market openness, as foreign investment and participation in the country’s economic development has been encouraged. Mongolia has also looked beyond its immediate surroundings to bring in investors from the…

Interview

OBG talks to President Ts. Elbegdorj
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Interview:President Ts. Elbegdorj To what extent is your focus on transparency and how are you ensuring the rule of law protects domestic and foreign investors? PRESIDET TS. ELBEGDORJ: The legal environment for investment is very important, of course. One of the core areas of my activities is to ensure the rule of law. Mongolia used to have a Soviet-style legal and judicial system, and this is currently being reformed. Our goal is to change it from a system that serves those in power to one…

Interview

OBG talks to President Ts. Elbegdorj
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Interview:President Ts. Elbegdorj To what extent is your focus on transparency and how are you ensuring the rule of law protects domestic and foreign investors? PRESIDET TS. ELBEGDORJ: The legal environment for investment is very important, of course. One of the core areas of my activities is to ensure the rule of law. Mongolia used to have a Soviet-style legal and judicial system, and this is currently being reformed. Our goal is to change it from a system that serves those in power to one…

Interview

OBG talks to Prime Minister N. Altankhuyag
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Interview: Prime Minister N. Altankhuyag What are the government’s current priorities in terms of economic development, and how can Mongolia move beyond minerals and mining? PRIME MINISTER N. ALTANKHUYAG: The new government is focusing on three main priorities. The very first is to create jobs for the Mongolia people, for which we have created a separate Ministry of Labour. The second one is to fight corruption and tackle the state bureaucracy as well as increasing the accountability in all sectors.…

Analysis

Trends and ideologies: The eclectic political arena is faced with a variety of challenges
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Since the dawn of democratic Mongolia back in 1989-90, much has changed internally, as the country has sought to negotiate the new, post-Cold-War epoch. This has involved not only embracing new ideas, but also a revised orientation towards neighbours and the wider international community in an era of rapid globalisation. This process has faced various strains, as the events of 2012 clearly demonstrated. The country is having to balance the requirements of economic development and national…

Viewpoint

Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, on Mongolia’s democracy and record of equality for women
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It is a great honour for me to have a chance to speak to the democratic progress that Mongolia has made and the example that has been set. I believe as strongly as I ever have that Mongolia is an inspiration and a model, and I am grateful for our two nations’ partnership as we have worked together – not only just between the US and Mongolia, but also as Mongolia has chaired the Community of Democracies. If there is one characteristic that every strong democracy in the world shares, it is that…

Interview

OBG talks to Bob Carr, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs
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Interview: Bob Carr How have relations between Australia and Mongolia developed over the past decade? BOB CARR: Both countries share similarities, including market economies, democratic institutions, and economic strengths in the agriculture and resource sectors. With our location and natural resources, we are both benefitting from strong growth and rising demand in China and elsewhere in Asia. I paid a visit to Ulaanbaatar in October 2012 for the 40th anniversary of our nations’ diplomatic relations.…

Analysis

Foreign policy futures: Regional economic growth adds a new angle to historical balancing
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coal to China that does not match up to Chinese railway gauges in this light. China may have the coal, but only at an extra cost, as it will have to transfer this cargo to its own, narrower-gauge rolling stock. THE BEAR: Russia, meanwhile, has often historically proven an ally, the Red Army helping Mongolia end Chinese occupation in 1921, while Soviet investment was long the main source of external support for the Mongolian People’s Republic. Since the end of the Cold War, however, trade with…

Overview

A new chapter: Riding the commodities boom while trying to retain age-old traditions
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Vast and sparsely populated, landlocked Mongolia is situated between giant neighbours to its north and south: Russia and China. With a population of 2.8m people inhabiting its wind-swept, grassy steppes and vast expanses of desert, Mongolia is the world’s least densely populated country. The nation continues to emerge as a key centre for mining investment, with a wide variety of important mineral reserves and a number of major projects scheduled to either expand production or to come on-line…

Interview

OBG talks to Victor V. Samoilenko, Russian Federation Ambassador
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Interview: Victor V. Samoilenko How would you assess the role Russian firms play in the Mongolian economy and its trade relations? VICTOR V. SAMOILENKO: Russian firms have been present in Mongolia since the Soviet era and include flagships in the economy like Erdenet, which produces copper and Molybdenum concentrate, Ulaanbaatar Railroad (UBRR), and Mongolrostsvetmet. They are the main contributors to local GDP. Erdenet itself is responsible for 20% of GDP and up to 40% to the budget. UBRR has…