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Mongolia Presses Rio Tinto as Ulaanbaatar Maps 2026 Land Clearances, Rural Reforms Advance

The moves reflect a sharpened early‑2026 push for tighter resource terms, large‑scale urban works, stronger rural services.

Overview

  • Prime Minister G. Zandanshatar will deliver formal demands to Rio Tinto on Oyu Tolgoi after the government renewed its negotiation team to enforce Parliament’s directives.
  • The temporary parliamentary committee concluded in December that project contracts and governance failed to protect Mongolia’s interests, citing cost overruns, delayed dividends, weak decision-making roles for the state, and poor transparency.
  • Ulaanbaatar approved 408 projects that require clearing 4,729 hectares across 20,218 plots in 2026, covering subcenters, major roads and social infrastructure.
  • City works include land actions at Bayanhoshuu, Dambadarjaa and Shorhad subcenters, links to the Khushig Valley highway, clearance for TPP‑5, and a waste‑to‑energy plant in Khan‑Uul District.
  • The agriculture ministry launched a Local Development Center pilot in Jargaltkhaan and flagged veterinary funding gaps in Khentii, including MNT 35 million for disinfectants and MNT 2.1 billion in unpaid vaccination fees, as forecasters warn of snow and deep cold through January 13.