Mongolia at ITB Berlin: Nomadic by nature

High-ranking Mongolian authorities headed by President Ts.Elbegdorj paid a working visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, from March 2 to 4, to attend the world’s largest tourism trade fair, International Tourism Exchange Berlin (ITB Berlin) taking place through March 8.
During his visit, President Ts.Elbegdorj also attended the Mongolia-Germany Business Forum, met his counterpart, President of Germany Joachim Gauck, and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel.

During the event, which kicked off on March 3, President Ts.Elbegdorj, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Governing Mayor of Berlin Michael Muller, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai, and President of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry Michael Frenzel delivered remarks.
In his address, President Ts.Elbegdorj noted, “Mongolia is delighted to participate in ITB Berlin as Official Partner Country. There is an old saying in our country, ‘Meet people while your father is with you. Travel when you have horse’. If you want to travel the lands of the greatest empire on Earth, founded by the great Chinggis Khaan and Attila Khaan, if you want an adventure in fascinating nature, or if you want to see a country that is moving towards economic development, visit Mongolia. I cordially invite you to visit Mongolia.”



In the photos:
1. In the square near the main entrance of Messe Berlin Mongolia has erected a ger with 15 walls. Three more gers with 4, five and eight walls were built inside the exhibit hall, which will represent Mongolia’s customs and tradition.
2. Most visitors to Mongolia choose airplanes for their arrival. MIAT Mongolian Airlines is promoting its operations at the event.
3. A Mongolian team of 60 artists preparing for a performance in City Cube Berlin hall of Messe Berlin. Director of On’Off Production Ononbat directed the performance.
4. In the central part of the Asian continent are in the fairgrounds Mongolia erected a ger. The main design of the pavillion was created by Babelsberg Film School professor from Potsdam, Germany, D.Ariunsaikhan.
5. Traditional Mongolian food will be served at ITB 2015.

The event is being held at the Messe Berlin fairground, which covers 160,000 square meters, 400 square meters of which is dedicated to promoting Mongolia. Mongolia is attending the event under the theme “Mongolia, nomadic by nature”.

According to industry studies, after successful participation in ITB Berlin, the number of tourists to a country increases by 15 to 30 percent. After participating in ITB Berlin 2010 as an Official Partner Country, Turkey managed to attract 31.4 million international visitors in 2011, and 39.7 million in 2012, the Office of the President reported.

ITB Berlin allows countries to introduce their tourism products and services to the European tourism market. Mongolia has participated in ITB Berlin since 1999. ITB Berlin has been held annually since 1966, and this year more than 10,000 tourism agencies from 190 countries are taking part in the exhibition. Around 175,000 visitors from all over the world come to ITB Berlin every year.

MONGOLIA-GERMANY BUSINESS FORUM
Mongolian delegates led by President Ts.Elbegdorj attended the German-Mongolian Business Forum in Berlin on March 3, which was jointly hosted by the Invest in Mongolia investment agency, the German Asia-Pacific Committee, and Mongolian Embassy to Germany at the Berlin City Administration Office.

At the event, Deputy Minister of Construction and Urban Development of Mongolia G.Baigalmaa gave a detailed introduction of her sector, and Department Head at the Ministry of Transport S.Adyasuren, Department Head at the Ministry of Industry D.Battogtokh, and Deputy Governor of Ulaanbaatar Ts.Enkhtsengel gave presentations about projects being implemented in the construction sector.

Senior Advisor to the Department of Investment D.Irmuun briefly introduced the investment environment of Mongolia, as well as Mongolian companies that were attending the forum. He also gave a presentation on the Maitreya City project by German architects.
A total of 170 representatives from industrial, tourism, infrastructure, and urban development sector organizations took part in the event. Ninety representatives attended for German organizations, which organizers said proves that the German private sector is interested in cooperating with Mongolia. The forum was attended by 15 Mongolian companies, most of them in partnerships with German companies.

President Ts.Elbegdorj, Governing Mayor of Berlin Michael Muller, and Member of the Management Board of Deutsche Bank Juergen Fitschen delivered opening remarks at the forum. Minister of Foreign Affairs L.Purevsuren, Minister of Transport L.Tumurkhuu, Governor of Ulaanbaatar E.Bat-Uul, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to Germany Ts.Bolor, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Mongolia Gerhard Thiedemann also attended the forum.

PRESIDENTS OF GERMANY AND MONGOLIA MEET
On the last day of his working visit, President Ts.Elbegdorj met with the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Joachim Gauck.

President Gauck expressed his pleasure in welcoming the President of Mongolia and noted, “We highly value and respect Mongolia’s path towards democracy. I hope that our two countries will further enhance our historic bilateral relations. There are ample opportunities to promote and enrich intensifying the development of mutual ties in the political sector through economic cooperation. I would like to emphasize that the Mongolia-Germany Institute of Technology is one of the major achievements of our bilateral partnership in the education sphere.”

President Elbegdorj said, “I am pleased to remember that I was the first official visitor of the newly elected President of Germany, Joachim Gauck, in 2012. This year marks the 25th anniversary of democratic elections in our country, and a ceremony will be held July, in Ulaanbaatar. I believe that Your Excellency, President Joachim Gauck, will attend this event. Your visit will underline the importance of the mutual relations between the two countries and contribute to enhancing and sharing democratic values in our region. In the scope of my initiative on the National Program to Develop Mongolian studies, Mongolia is successfully expanding partnership with the universities of Germany. Mongolia and Germany share similar positions on key issues of international relations and support each other. Mongolia is interested in maintaining and continuing this close cooperation with Germany.”

President Gauck asked questions of President Ts.Elbegdorj and thanked him for the invitation.

ANGELA MERKEL AND TS.ELBEGDORJ hold a PRESS CONFERENCE
On Tuesday, President Ts.Elbegdorj held a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after their offical talks. Merkel said the two leaders had discussed the interest of Mongolian airlines in forging closer ties with Lufthansa.

“In Germany the government doesn’t do that, the companies have to do it. We want to talk to Lufthansa to call their attention to potential cooperation and maybe there can be an intensification of the cooperation between Lufthansa and Mongolian airlines,” said Merkel. Lufthansa was not immediately available for comment.

Merkel also emphasized Germany’s interest in pursuing a commodities agreement signed in 2011, when she visited Mongolia. Merkel outlined the difficulties involved in getting start-up financing for infrastructure and mining projects, and the need for infrastructure expansion in Mongolia.

“Thirdly, Mongolia has big neighbors who have their own ideas about infrastructure,” said Merkel, pointing mainly to Russia and the need to discuss with Moscow ways to make exporting materials from Mongolia to Europe easier. As Reuters reported, Merkel said, “I don’t think that things are hopeless.”

Mongolia celebrates International Women’s Day

The Heavenly Mothers Event for 1,000 women from Songinokhairkhan District was held yesterday at Independence Palace to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Vice Chairwoman of the Social Democratic Women’s Association of Mongolia Ch.Undarmaa attended the event and exchanged views with attendees on employment, health and family, and raised many important topics regarding urgent health and social welfare issues.
Awards were granted to women recognized for their achievements, contributing their knowledge and skills to the community, and becoming the best in their professional fields.
Representatives of young mothers and expectant mothers were also present at the meeting. Soon-to-be mother N.Purevjav was one of the 30 lucky prize winners during the event and delighted all the women at Independence Palace.

“I’m happy to have been invited to this event and to become a lucky prize winner. This is probably the first gift my soon-to-be-born child will receive,” N.Purevjav told the hundreds of women in the hall.

“Time Has Changed” premieres
The romantic comedy “Time Has Changed”, by Dream Theatre Production, opened on March 7.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, every woman in the audience who attended the opening of the play was presented with a gift.

Performances will continue at Independence Palace through the end of March, with performances beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Flashmob held at Chinggis Square
The One Billion Rising Revolution Flash Mob was danced at Chinggis Square yesterday as part of the international movement to raise awareness on the global epidemic of violence against women and stop violence against women and girls.
The flash mob started at noon with the theme “DRUM! DANCE! RISE!”
Thousands of One Billion Rising Revolution Events have been organized and produced by local activists throughout the world since 2013, when people across the world came together to express their outrage, strike, dance, and rise in defiance of the injustices women suffer, demanding an end at last to violence against women.

Celebrating 40 years of Mongolia’s role in space travel

This year marks the 34th anniversary of Mongolia’s first participation in space flight, the 50th anniversary of the first open space mission, and the 40th anniversary of the historic joint U.S.-Soviet space flight the “Soyuz-Apollo”, which marked the end of the “space race” between the two superpowers.

For the celebration of the anniversaries the Astronomy and Geophysics Institute of the Scientific Academy will organize a “Mongolians Reaching for Space” event. It will showcase the events leading up to the historic March 22, 1981, Soyuz 39 space flight with a Mongolian cosmonaut onboard, and focus on the contributions of individuals who made the launch possible. Also, an art exhibition of postage stamps, photos, and collectible envelopes depicting the flight will be displayed from March 20 to 22. The exhibitions hope to show how a Mongolian man flew to space through the contributions of many people.

A range of activities for children – future astronauts, have been planned. The best primary school class will be chosen to visit the Space and Astronomy Palace, while classroom 7B of the 21st school in Bayanzurkh District will be named after Mongolian Hero and Soviet Hero, the astronaut J.Gurragchaa. Annual song, drawing, and poetry competitions will take place accordingly.

The Dudu Education Foundation has big plans for the anniversary. The director of the foundation, D.Munkhtulga stated, “A national program to increase children’s knowledge about space is being implemented in two stages. First, we are developing a complete educational program, in which students can experiment on toy rockets. Next, we plan to create the first Mongolian space camp for children.”

When asked about how we can prepare future astronauts, J.Gurragchaa replied, “The relevance of space flight is in research, which must contribute significantly to the development of the country, its people, and technological advancement. Preparing astronauts has little to do with it. Mongolia is in need of an organization to define the state’s space policy. We must have a national space studies advisory board to support state policy. Even though such an organization exists, their activities are unclear.”

Mongolian scientists study 200-year-old mummified monk who is 'still alive’

Two-centuries-old body discovered last week, covered in cattle skin, in Ulan Bator is in meditative trance, according to some Buddhist experts 

Scientists in Mongolia are examining a 200-year mummified monk who some Buddhists believe is still alive because he is in a deep meditative trance.

The preserved body of the monk, sitting in the cross-legged lotus position, was discovered last week, covered in cattle skin, in the Songino Khairkhan district of the capital, Ulan Bator.

The ash-coloured mummy has reportedly been sent to the National Centre of Forensic Expertise in Ulan Bator for further study.

Gankhüügiin Pürevbat, the founder of the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art at Ulan Bator Buddhist University, told the Siberian Times, a news website: “The lama is sitting in the lotus position vajra, the left hand is opened, and the right hand symbolises of the preaching Sutra.

'This is a sign that the lama is not dead, but is in a very deep meditation according to the ancient tradition of Buddhist lamas”.

Some experts on Buddhism said the monk could be in “tukdam”, a kind of deep meditative state that crosses over between life and death.
Dr Barry Kerzin, a monk and a physician to the Dalai Lama, told the website: “If the person is able to remain in this state for more than three weeks - which rarely happens - his body gradually shrinks, and in the end all that remains from the person is his hair, nails, and clothes.”
Local media said a 45-old-man had been arrested because the monk’s body had been stolen from a cave with the intention of selling it off. It was unclear in what circumstances it was originally found.

 

The preserved body of the monk
The mummified monk is generally thought to have died in the 19th century. His identity is unknown.
In a similar case, the body of Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov, a lama in Russia’s Buryatia region, showed few signs of decay when it was exhumed in 2002. Monks say Itigilov is “not completely dead” and the temperature of his body rises during ceremonies at the monastery where it is kept near Ulan Ude.
Itigilov died in 1927 while meditating, having asked fellow monks to bury him in the lotus position after he passed away. His body was packed in salt.

 

Mongolian court upholds $18 mln fine on SouthGobi Resources

(Reuters) - A Mongolian appeals court has upheld a fine worth nearly $18 million for tax evasion on Toronto-listed SouthGobi Resources, according to a statement from the court, which analysts say may send the company teetering towards insolvency.

Mongolian authorities last year issued tens of millions of dollars in tax claims to companies, putting investors on edge. The perception of an unpredictable government has subdued enthusiasm for the country's coal and copper deposits worth billions of dollars, sending foreign investment spiralling downwards by 74 percent last year.

SouthGobi may appeal the decision announced on Wednesday to a higher court, said Dale Choi, head of Independent Mongolian Metals & Mining Research, in an email to investors.
"Still, the likelihood has increased that SouthGobi could end up with facing a penalty of ~$17.5 million, which increases risk of insolvency for the company," Choi said.
A Mongolian court found SouthGobi Resources and three former foreign employees guilty of tax evasion in hearing by a panel of judges held on Jan. 30, and fined the company 35 million tugrik ($17.5 million) for taxes owed.

The January hearing was the third after judges twice returned the case to the prosecution because of a lack of evidence. SouthGobi has denied the tax evasion charges, but was not able to immediately able to respond to a request for additional comments.
"Throughout the investigation, the administration officials have issued in total four reports which all have all been different and contradicted one another in terms of content and final sums of purported tax evasion," said Chief Financial Officer Bertrand Troiano by email last month.

Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj last month pardoned the three former employees who had been sentenced to more than five years each in prison on the tax evasion charges.

SouthGobi operates the Ovoot coal deposit in the Gobi desert, about 25 miles north of the China-Mongolia border. It and other miners in the area have suffered from a sharp drop in coal prices as China's economic growth has slowed. ($1 = 1,986.0000 tugrik) (Reporting by Terrence Edwards; Editing By Tom Hogue)

M.Davaajargal Mongolian Yokozuna triumphs in spring sumo tournament

Yokozuna Hakuho M.Davaajargal has shown outstanding sumo wrestling skill and won his 34^th basho, tournament of professional sumo.

Until the last day of the basho, the top competitors were Yokozuna Hakuho M.Davaajargal and Sekiwake  Terunofuji G.Gan-Erdene. Sumo fans were unsure who would win the basho as the competition was well matched.

On the last day of the basho Sekiwake  Terunofuji defeated Ozeki Goeido, completing the basho with 13 wins and two losses.

Yokozuna Hakuho came close to defeat by Yokozuna Harumafuji before his match against Sekiwake Terunofuji, and fans were anxious about his narrow victory.

Before the start of the basho Terunofuji promised several things, and he didn’t hide his wish to defeat Yokozuna Hakuho as a newly titled Sekiwake.  

Ozeki Kisenosato emerged from the basho with nine victories, and ozekis Goeido and Kotoshogiku each finished the basho with eight victories.

 

Matsu Takako

I love here. Most beautiful artist and actress in the world :D She's Japanese.
I'm learning Japanese. Because I wanna to meet here someday. It's joke ;) I love here and I want to meet here.
僕は日本語を学んでいます。松たか子さんが大好きです。