L.Munkhbayasgalan, publicist
A familiar picture has come up in front of eyes. It is the sudden delay of the visit of the President Ts.Elbegdorj to the Russian Federation. The reason is confidential. However, the Prime Minister S.Batbold has landed in Russia by the urgent call of B.Putin on his way to Austria and Hungary for an official visit. The reason of the call was the presentation of the rice to our poor citizens. Although the reason of the visit of the Head of the State is confidential, the reason of the call of the Head of the Government is said to have a humanitarian purpose. It is a lie. The urgent call of the Russians has never had a charitable purpose. For example, the call of the heads of the states after 1921 used to be made to take their lives and from 1990 the purpose was to blackmail them. Specifically, on 27 November 2007, the Russians have called to the Kremlin the President N.Enkhbayar due to the Independence Day of Mongolia and put him into panic. Luckily that “call” attracted the attention of the press and he “escaped’ the visit that “saved his life”. N.Enkhbayar postponed the visit for over a month by giving various reasons and in the beginning of December, he headed to Moscow. According to the visit schedule, N.Enkbayar was supposed to meet President V.Putin on 8 of December. Suddenly, the day before of the planned meeting, V.Putin informed that he has cancelled the meeting. This kind of cancellation during the state visit is a bad signal. Anyway, how it would sound if CNN informs that “Russian President V.Putin has refused to meet the Mongolian President”. The reason of the cancellation has been stated shortly by not tormenting N.Enkhbayar for a long time and the Russians said that if Mongolia does not approve the agreement of owning Asgat silver deposit by Russian Polimetall company at 50:50%, V.Putin will not show his face. N.Enkhbayar who has nearly lost his consciousness due to the fright has approved an illegal agreement and received a right to see the face of V.Putin. The Prime Minister M.Enkhbold has resigned after his annulment of that illegal agreement. However, N.Enkhbayar has made M.Enkhbold to resign not because he was so powerful.
Only the promise of the Russians that said “If you give us Asgat silver deposit, we will defeat your enemy” has been implemented in life. If N.Enkhbold was only an enemy of N.Enkhbayar before his annulment of the illegal agreement, after the annulment of the agreement by the Government of Mongolia, he became the enemy of Russia too. So, the present situation with the President Ts.Elbegdorj is a familiar scenario. If in time of N.Enkhbayar’s term, Russians have requested to give Asgat deposit, now they are requesting to give Mardai from Ts.Elbegdorj. The Russians are saying “Rob the shares of Khan Resources held in Mardai deposit and kick them out. Mongolia will not own 51% of the deposit. Russia and Mongolia will own at 50:50%, or else…” This means that Kremlin will not let Ts.Elbegdorj to cross the threshold until he does not fulfill their requirement. However, they called S.Batbold and arrogantly said “Why you are not implementing the agreement made by S.Bayar? Do you decide or do we decide?” and let him go after presenting some rice in order not to release information that they have told him off. Last year Russia harvested a highest quantity of rice in their history, but they were short of storages, so gave the surplus rice that have nearly rotten to the Prime Minister S.Batbold.
THE RUSSIAN TRAP
When Russian President D.Medvedev has paid a visit to Mongolia on 25 August 2009, he managed to have an agreement of establishing a Dornod Uranium JV signed. Dornod Uranium JV was born with a loud applause and the agreement came into force since Mon Atom and ARMZ of Russia have signed to own the JV at 50:50%. Although the parties stated that “The bilateral co-operation of two countries has entered a new stage”, they have not mentioned anything about what Russia have proposed, what rights they will have and what benefits Mongolia will get. Why should they state? Uranium is the largest sensitive issue of Russia. Russians have not forgotten the explosion of Chernobyl Nuclear Energy Plant on 27 April 1986 that not only caused dreadful damages but led the price of uranium to become priceless and that started the stagnation period of the nuclear energy. Therefore, for the leadership in the uranium mining and milling sector of the world, Russia is stealing, robbing and acquiring everything that is possible. During the socialist regime, Russians used to exploit Mardai deposit secretly since 1980. At that time, only the former Head of the State Yu.Tsedenbal used to know about it and the Deputy Head of the Minister’s Council Mr Ragchaa said “I had not very clear idea of the agreement, I have signed it because I was told to do so”. There is also information that Russia has started uranium exploration work in our country after the end of the Second World War as they knew that the territory of Mongolia had a high content of radioactive substance. Well let’s leave it, it has happened in the past. But the proposal sent by Russians regarding the establishment of the joint venture stated “Mon Atom and ARMZ will own equally at 50:50%”. This has been accepted by the Mongolians. However, a month prior to the visit of D.Medvedev to Mongolia, the parliament has amended the draft Nuclear Energy Law and added a provision that stipulated that the State will own 51% of the deposits which reserves were explored with the State Budget funding. So, in order to transfer 51% to the State in accordance with the law, 22% out of 58% owned by Khan Resources and a certain percentages from the Russian share were intended to be transferred to the Mongolian party. But the Russians said: “No, confiscate the shares of Khan Resources and kick them out of the country immediately. But make our share 50%. So, our two countries will own the deposit equally at 50:50%. However, we will determine the market price for the product”. Then they said “We will export raw uranium and will process yellow cake at Krasnokamensk plant locating at 200 km from Mardai. If to process uranium in Mongolia, the costs will be high”. We would be make a profit of few billions if the yellow cake is produced in Mongolia rather than exporting uranium in the raw state. However, Russians did not keep their promise and intends to export raw uranium. Also, they are not willing to give 51% to Mongolia and the amount of investment they are proposing to make is only USD50 million, besides they are wishing to make a Stability Agreement. In order to intensify their pressure, Russia has increased two folds the price of the electricity exported to the western aimags that led the fuel price to jump up. In addition, they have postponed the visit of the President and oppressed the Prime Minister by calling him.
THE FRIENDSHIP OF MONGOLIA AND RUSSIA
Vadim Jivkov, the Director of ARMZ who is attempting to acquire 50% of Mardai uranium said “The uranium processing cost in Mongolia is high. Besides, it is unprofitable. Since Krasnokamensk plant locates at 200 km from Dornod, we are considering of exploiting the existing human resource”. This alternative is not profitable for Mongolia. V.Jivov said “The friendship of Mongolia and Russia is more valuable than money”. His interview published in the daily newspaper was published under that title. Excuse me, but it is not 1980, but 2010. Vadim Jivkov is not a Russian specialist who came to provide an assistance to Mongolia. He is a just one of the common partners that came to Mongolia intenting to jointly exploit mineral resource of our country. The money and benefits are important, but not the friendship. If the deal is profitable, let’s do the business, if not profitable then just leave. That is all need to be done. Make investment under the governance of our law, if not wish to invest then there are giants such as Areva and Toshiba queuing in the line. The Russians who are talking about a friendship have arrived to Mongolia last February and gone back after pressing the President and the Prime Minister. They forced to confiscate the shares of the Canadians urgently and if this does not work then to organize a media campaign saying that the assets of Khan Resources is confiscate due to the violations of the law. So, they advised to purchase the shares once the share price of Khan Resources becomes priceless. Also, they have forced not to release from their control the railway regardless of how Mongolia extends it and award the Russian consortium in Tavantolgoi tender. He must have known that if Mongolia organizes such an activity in order to remove Khan Resources, then Mongolia will loose the case in the international court. Since in such case he will not pay the court claim, he has left Mongolia forcing a smile under a moustache. Hopefully Mongolians consider the fact that Paushok of Altan Dornod has won the court case for being discriminated. Nowadays, the times have changed and no one can get away for treating abusively anyone taking into granted its primitiveness. No matter how we swear at Paushok, he would be right according to globalized world’s rules that honor the law. People who have followed everywhere D.Dagvadorj, the sumo wrestler who has arrived after being recently expelled from the Professional Sumo Wrestling of Japan for an undisciplined behavior, must be ashamed of calling down curse on the Japanese.
Just after A.Gordeev (ex Russian Ambassador), the partner of V.Putin has left Mongolia, the press started to write of Khan Resources violations of the law and some even proposed to let Dornod Uranium to undertake activities. This was a PR of the Governor of Voronej region of Russia. Currently, the officials of the NEA are giving interview almost everyday and running about winking their eyes meaning something. May be a new instruction has been given from Moscow.
THE RUSSIAN GAME
Russians have enough played with the State of Mongolia in XXI century. Mongolians are not fond of selling their land. If you ask any corruptor to sell his land, he may attack you holding anything that he has encountered. If a Mongolian who even does not have a land in their fence to erect a ger, they do not need of anyone advising not to sell their native country. But if someone says “I will help you to take revenge. I will defeat your enemy and will make you a king” then he would be capable even to give his eyes for it. This is connected to our history starting from Chinggis Khan. When Chinggis was a young boy who was unable to take revenge from the people that killed his father gave a sable fur coat to Tooril Khan who in turn has helped him to take revenge. Zanabazar (the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism of Mongolia in the 17th century) was jealous that Galdanboshigt Khan was more educated than him, so in order to take revenge, Zanabazar taken part of manchu leading Khalkha Mongols which resulted in torment of Mongolia for 200 years. When Amarsanaa King (the last King of Zuungaria (western Mongolia) who from 1755-1757 led a series of uprisings against the Qing Dynasty and its emperor Qianlong) has not acknowledged his cousin Dawaachi, the Manchu Khan said to him:”Son, come to us. We will take revenge for you. We will kill Dawaachi and make you a King”. Then Amarsanaa has also joined the Manchu. Choibalsan has also ruled the country after letting Russians to kill his enemies. So these kind of examples are endless. As a democracy has won in Mongolia and Moscow has stopped to appoint the Head of the Mongolian State, it seems that the Russians now have a policy of exploiting politicians who are in disagreement. Like having made M.Enkhbold to resign for acquiring Asgat silver deposit from N.Enkhbayar they have concluded Mardai and railway agreement for having N.Enkhbayar to be left on the street jointly with S.Bayar. Maybe Russians made a telephone call to S.Bayar and said “N.Enkhbayar is up again. We will teach you how to press him down. You must come to Mongolia and take your job”. If Russians have not said so then why would Russians have more power than Canadians who have proposed to make an investment of USD350 million at Mardai deposit where Russians offer USD 50 million. So why Mongolia is taking the part of Russians when Canadians say: “We will process uranium in Mongolia and will contribute substantial funds to the budget of Mongolia”, but Russians say:”We will export raw uranium to Russia”. Why we are rejecting Canadians who state that they would respect the law of Mongolia, but supporting Russians who say that they would not pursue our law. Russians estimated uranium reserves of Dornod at 20,730,00 tons where Canadians estimated it at 28,061,75 tons. It is difficult to understand the policy of supporting Russians and rejecting Canadians when the estimation of reserves in terms of quantity has such a large variance. Probably this is the reason for setting a ban for Ts.Elbegdorj and sending “an invitation” to S.Batbold.
