Blair's dirty money: As his tentacles reach Mongolia, how the ex-PM is making millions from some of the world's most evil regimes | Mail Online

Blair's dirty money: As his tentacles reach Mongolia, how the ex-PM is making millions from some of the world's most evil regimes | Mail Online: "This week, it was revealed the former Prime Minister has added a new country, Mongolia, to his burgeoning portfolio of business interests.

He has signed a contract to advise the Central Asian country’s leaders on ‘good governance’ through his money-making Government Advisory Practice.

And what does Mongolia have in common with most of the places Mr Blair does his business deals?

The answer is: pots of money. The once dirt-poor nation is about to strike it rich, thanks to vast copper and gold mines in the Gobi desert."

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China, Mongolia to strengthen cooperation in environmental protection|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn

China, Mongolia to strengthen cooperation in environmental protection|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn: "ULAN BATOR - Chinese and Mongolian environmental authorities met here Monday and agreed to strengthen cooperation in environmental protection and sustainable development.
At the meeting, Vice Minister Li Ganjie of the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection said China and Mongolia are good neighbors with a long borderline, and enhancing environmental cooperation serves the interest of both countries."

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Mongolia's Ex-Leader Speaks From Jail - WSJ.com

Mongolia's Ex-Leader Speaks From Jail - WSJ.com: "ULAN BATOR, Mongolia—Confined to a well-appointed suite in a dreary Soviet-era hospital, the disgraced, yet influential ex-president of this resource-rich nation is still roiling politics despite his isolation."

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Rio Tinto Vs. Mongolia, Destination Unknown - Seeking Alpha

Rio Tinto Vs. Mongolia, Destination Unknown - Seeking Alpha: "A battle is brewing regarding Mongolia's huge Oyu Tolgoi copper mine which, at full production, will be among the top five copper mines in the world. As discussed in my recent article about Mongolia's politics, the Mongolian government has raised the royalty taxes on Oyu Tolgoi in contravention of the Oyu Tolgoi agreement of 2009, and these additional tax revenues are included in Mongolia's planned budget. Turquoise Hill Resources (TRQ) came out with their quarterly reporting on November 14, 2012. In their report, Turquoise Hill acknowledged the new law pending presidential signature, but said it does not apply."

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Ansip Talks Trade with Mongolian Leader at ASEM | Politics | News | ERR

Ansip Talks Trade with Mongolian Leader at ASEM | Politics | News | ERR: "While attending the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Laos on Monday, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip met with Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj to discuss trade, e-government and oil shale.
"Ansip said Estonian companies are interested in Mongolia as a trade partner with high potential," according to an Estonian government press release.
Elbegdorj, for his part, said the meeting covered three topics of interest to Mongolia: e-government, logistics and the Estonian oil shale industry."

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The Durango Herald 10/09/2012 | The warmth of a family meal holds winter’s cold at bay

The Durango Herald 10/09/2012 | The warmth of a family meal holds winter’s cold at bay: "Concerned about my daily Ramen noodle intake, professor Bat-Tur, a teacher of Korean Politics at the National University of Mongolia, invited me to his apartment for dinner with the promise of a home cooked meal.

Bat-Tur is a petit, thoughtful man, who speaks precise English, cautiously correcting his verb conjugations halfway through sentences. Mongolian names have special, often literal, significance, and Bat-Tur means “strong government.” Given to him by parents who were unsure if he would survive, his name relates to being born prematurely during the socialist period. The family believed the name “strong government” would impart much needed strength to the baby."

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Mongolia: Do Oligarchs See Politics as a Growth Opportunity? | EurasiaNet.org

Mongolia: Do Oligarchs See Politics as a Growth Opportunity? | EurasiaNet.org: "Reflecting Mongolia’s booming economy, Ulaanbaatar’s skyline has been transformed in recent years, with socialist-style low-rise buildings displaced by lots of steel and concrete structures. And as the towers go up, their owners seem to go into politics.

Mongolia’s economy grew by 17.3 percent in 2011, up from 6.4 percent in 2010. Foreign direct investment, mostly in the mining sector, totaled some $5 billion last year. The country sits on vast coal reserves, mostly untouched, lying within sniffing distance from energy-hungry China. It’s not surprising, then, that what some call the world’s fastest-growing economy is producing nouveau-riche oligarchs."

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Mongolian President Talks Corruption And Human Rights | News | The Harvard Crimson

Mongolian President Talks Corruption And Human Rights | News | The Harvard Crimson: "President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of Mongolia discussed corruption, human rights, and his success in revitalizing his home country at the Institute of Politics on Friday.

Championing the cause of the peaceful democratic revolution he launched to overthrow the long-standing communist regime in Mongolia, Elbegdorj offered a forceful diatribe against the widespread corruption in government that he successfully fought against, twice as prime minister and now as president.

Speaking to a packed audience in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, Elbegdorj dubbed Mongolia as the current world leader in freedom, referring to it as the “democratic anchor of the east.” He encouraged"

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Nomads of the steppe enter the world politics arena - M.A.D. Investment Solutions

Nomads of the steppe enter the world politics arena - M.A.D. Investment Solutions: "Seventy-year history of Mongolians under the Russian rule was no different. Even though communists insist that Mongolia was not a colony of Russia, the fact still remains that out of 40 thousand Mongolians slaughtered during the Great Repression, more than half were murdered by Russians. As such that Mongolia was not in war with Russia at that time, this would only have to be named as Slaughtering by the Hands of Russians. Moreover, it is said that there is not a single incident in history where citizens of a non-colony nation were murdered in that number.
By the words of communist ideologists, who are now reduced to a few but are still tenacious, our ancestors, in particular, Bogd Jebtsundamba Khutugtu, the leader of Mongolia’s Buddhist religion, was a syphilis-ridden womanizer. They say that Russians came to rescue, when Mongolia’s society was full of pox and syphilis. Up until today, their propaganda reiterate the same sentiments, saying that only after the Russians came, Mongolia, world’s second-communist nation, was able to advance to the level of other world countries, until the 1990s."

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After elections, who profits from Mongolia's boom? | Asia | DW.DE | 02.07.2012

After elections, who profits from Mongolia's boom? | Asia | DW.DE | 02.07.2012: "Only 65 percent of Mongolian voters turned out to the country's most recent parliamentary election. Mongolians are disappointed in the politics of their country, where the vast resources only benefit few.
The long-awaited Mongolian parliamentary elections did not give either of the two big parties a clear win. The people's discontent with the country's political establishment was apparent in the low voter turnout. Whereas there was a 74 percent turnout in the 2008 elections, this year, only 65 percent of Mongolia's 1.8 million eligible voters went to polls."

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Mongolia vote snag as ruling party demands recount | ajc.com

Mongolia vote snag as ruling party demands recount  | ajc.com: "The ruling Mongolia People's Party asked for the recount Friday after it said discrepancies turned up in vote totals tabulated by machines and then counted by hand at some polling stations.

Results were originally expected Friday, and the delay is a reminder of the young democracy's bare-knuckled politics. The last poll four years ago touched off riots that left four dead after the Democratic Party claimed voting irregularities.

Both main parties told voters they were better positioned to use mining revenues to create jobs and narrow the gap between rich and poor."

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