Interview

T .BATMUNKH: ERDENET PLANT TO PROCESS A RECORD 40 MILLION TONS OF ORE The Erdenet Mining Corporation, commonly known as the Erdenet Plant, is a cornerstone of Mongolia's mining industry, operating continuously for over 40 years.

A. ENKHJIN: RISING GOLD PRICES ARE EXPECTED TO STABILIZE AROUND $3,000 A. Enkhjin, Director of the Financial Market Department at the Mongol Bank, shared insights on the current state and future prospects of the gold market.

MONGOLIA TO BUILD THE WORLD'S FIFTH LARGEST URANIUM MINING PLANT To find out, we spoke with D. Dalaijargal, Executive Director of the state-owned Mon-Atom LLC, the government's implementing agency for the project.

B. DULGUUN: CHANGES TO TRADING REGULATIONS WILL BOOST COAL EXCHANGE ACTIVITY In an interview with B. Dulguun, the Acting CEO of the Mongolian Stock Exchange, we discussed the current demand for minerals, market needs, and the future of trading on the Mining Products Exchange.

T. BATTULGA: "MONGOLIA MINING-2025" EXHIBITION TO BE HELD UNDER THE SLOGAN "SMARTER TECH – STRONGER MINES" The 14th edition of Mongolia Mining-2025, the country’s premier international mining exhibition, will take place this spring from April 17 to 19 at the Buyant-Ukhaa Sports Palace. We interviewed Mr. T. Battulga, General Director of Minex Mongolia LLC, the organizer of the exhibition.

D. DALAIJARGAL:THE IAEA WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH AND MONITOR THE ZUUVCH-OVOO DEPOSIT The Mongolian government adopted its policy on radioactive minerals and nuclear energy in 2009. Its primary goal is to expand the country's reserves of radioactive minerals and utilize them for peaceful purposes.

MARC MELEARD: THE START OF THE ZUUVCH OVOO PROJECT WILL COME AT A TIME WHEN PRODUCTION FROM EXISTING URANIUM MINES WILL BE INSUFFICIENT TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY. Mongolia negotiated an investment agreement with Orano Mining, France, to implement its uranium mining project. In this context, we spoke with Marc Meleard, General Director of Badrakh Energy, the joint venture between the Government of Mongolia and Orano Mining.

G. YONDON: ERDENET PLANT'S RESERVES ARE PROJECTED TO LAST UNTIL 2079 MMCG Research and Consulting Services conducted the study and presented its findings in the report titled "The Impact and Contribution of the Erdenet Mining Corporation on the Society and Economy of Mongolia: Past, Present, and Future." The study aimed to offer a concise overview of the plant's performance through numerical data.

J. ZOLJARGAL: DISCOUNTED COAL PRICES FOR MONGOLIA POSSIBLE WITH REDUCED DEPENDENCE ON SINGLE BUYER Mongolia's primary export is coal, with the country achieving a historic milestone by exporting 83.7 million tons last year. We discussed the successes, challenges, key issues, and future trends in the coal sector with Member of Parliament J. Zoljargal.

S.SANASER: GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ENHANCES PROFITABILITY, EFFICIENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. We spoke with S. Sanaser, an economist, PhD in Business Administration, and governance consultant, about the development of management systems and governance in state-owned companies.

ORICA MONGOLIA AT MONGOLIA MINING 2024: SHAPING THE FUTURE WITH TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY Orica, a global leader in mining and infrastructure solutions with 150 years of experience, operates in Mongolia with our flagship project at Oyu Tolgoi. Our company provides advanced products and services, including digital and automation solutions, mining chemicals, and safety management. Orica’s GroundProbe™ radars are used at Oyu Tolgoi for slope stability monitoring, and we aim to support Mongolia's mining sector by offering tailored solutions that optimize operational costs and meet ESG goals.

MARC MELEARD: A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE SUCCESS OF MINING PROJECTS INTERVIEW WITH MARC MELEARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BADRAKH ENERGY LLC

KH.SANCHIGDORJ: AERIAL GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH UNDERWAY ACROSS MONGOLIA The government believes that by intensifying thematic geological research and conducting detailed prospecting, it can identify areas with potential for mineral deposits and uncovering themto attract foreign investment. Kh.Sanchigdorj, Director of the Geological Policy Department at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, presented the government's policy for the geological sector, detailing various projects and programs, including the progress of aerial electromagnetic research.

S.OYUNBAT: WE NEED TO THOROUGHLY EXPLORE THE RARE EARTH MINERALS IN OUR COUNTRY Rare earth elements are a relatively new topic for our country's mineral sector. However, S.Oyunbat, a Mongolian consultant geologist with a PhD, is quite familiar with these elements. Geo-Info, a consulting company specializing in geo-information and exploration, was established by S.Oyunbat and has been active in the field since 2008. The company discovered the Ulaan Del rare earth element deposit in Uvs aimag. In 2018, the mineralization reserve was presented to the Professional Council of Mineral Resources, discussed, and subsequently registered as a rare earth element (REE) deposit in Mongolia's Mineral Resources Fund.

G. YONDON: A COPPER CONCENTRATE PROCESSING PLANT WILL ENSURE EFFICIENCY AND REDUCE WASTE We need to first mention the foundational concept known as the ‘Four Tree Structure’ which initiated the establishment of manufacturing and processing plants. As part of the 2020-2024 Government Action Program, construction of heavy industry plants in various locations with developed infrastructure and proximity to population centers was endorsed by the Parliament on August 28, 2020. These decisions were made at the policy level.

S. NARANTSOGT: WE WILL DEVELOP A CLUSTER FOR SYSTEMATIC PRODUCTION OF VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS S.Narantsogt, CEO of Erdenes Mongolia LLC, discussed strategically important initiatives, including the establishment of an industrial complex outlined in the medium-term strategic plans of the Erdenes Mongolia group. He also highlighted the investment agreement with the French state-owned company Orano Mining.

S. NARANTSOGT: WE WILL DEVELOP A CLUSTER FOR SYSTEMATIC PRODUCTION OF VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS S. Narantsogt, CEO of Erdenes Mongolia LLC, discussed strategically important initiatives, including the establishment of an industrial complex outlined in the medium-term strategic plans of the Erdenes Mongolia group. He also highlighted the investment agreement with the French state-owned company Orano Mining.

B. BAT-ERDENE: SUPPORTING RESPONSIBLE MINING IS NOT JUST A MINING INDUSTRY PROBLEM MMJ journalist B. Ariunaa spoke with the Minister of Environment and Tourism, B. Bat-Erdene about environmental legislation, subsoil, its use and protection, underground and surface water resources, and how to prevent soil erosion.

J. GANBAT: ERDENES TAVANTOLGOI WILL ESTABLISH A STABLE AND TRANSPARENT SYSTEM MMJ journalist B. Ariunaa interviewed the Special Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government, J. Ganbat, about the activities of Erdenes Tavantolgoi JSC, the best investor in the mining industry, and the developments and problems faced by the company in recent years.

TS. BYAMBATSEREN: THE ALTAN TSAGAAN OVOO PROJECT IS PLANNED TO CONTINUE UNTIL 2036 Steppe Gold participated in the Eastern conference “Responsible Mining” organized by the National Mining Association of Mongolia. How is responsible mining developing in the Eastern region, especially in Dornod aimag where you work