Good Morning! Mongolia is trying to boost winter tourism with festivals celebrating camels, horses, and ice. But even without trying, the country’s winter landscapes are breathtaking, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here are some snapshots of its stunning nature. ❄️🗻

What’s inside today’s edition…

• 🏦 Foreign Banks in Mongolia?

• 🛡️ Mongolia Among Asia’s Safest

• 💸 EBRD’s 2nd-Highest Investment in Mongolia

No Time to Waste. Let’s Get Started! 🦘

MARKET

BANKING: In 2025, Mongolian companies raised a total of $2.6 billion across 40 completed deals. Of this amount, 7 banks accounted for approximately $2 billion, or about 79% of total financing. 

GOV: The government has ordered the removal and reappointment of the CEO of Erdenes Oyu Tolgoi LLC through a selection process, while also directing a review, release, and reappointment of government-designated members on the Oyu Tolgoi board of directors.

MNG: Parliament Speaker N.Uchral announced plans to bring in foreign banks to increase competition and lower lending rates.

🪬 Mongolia Ranks Among Asia’s Safest Countries

Mongolia ranks 5th among Asia’s safest countries, marking its strongest-ever performance in the Global Peace Index.

• 📃 The Global Peace Index (GPI) scores countries on a scale of 1 to 5, with lower scores indicating higher levels of peace. The index ranks 163 countries based on 3 core domains such as societal safety and security, ongoing conflict, and militarisation.

📈 Over the past decade

Mongolia’s Global Peace Index performance has generally improved over the past ten years, consistently placing the country within the global top 50. For example, Mongolia ranked 42nd globally in 2015 with a score of 2.22. By 2025, its score improved to 1.719, lifting the country to fifth place in Asia and 37th globally out of 163 countries.

• 🤩 While the Global Peace Index has deteriorated globally for the 13th consecutive year, Mongolia stands out as an exception, showing continued improvement.

Key drivers of this positive trend include a low level of ongoing conflict, relatively modest military expenditure, stable crime rates, and the absence of armed conflict. As a result, Mongolia has emerged as one of Asia’s more peaceful and stable countries.  

🚨 Common Crimes in Mongolia

Despite Mongolia’s strong standing as a relatively peaceful country, certain internal security challenges intensified over the past year. Traffic-related violations, corruption cases, and cybercrime recorded the sharpest increases. On the human side, 24,600 individuals were directly affected by crime, including 1,409 children under 18 (5.7%) and 11,341 women (46.1%). The number of people injured rose by 8.2% to 5,680, while fatalities increased by 18.6% year-on-year, with 567 lives lost compared to the same period in 2024.

Finally… Is Mongolia safe? Yes. However, travellers should take basic precautions, particularly on the roads, in crowded areas, and online. With sensible awareness and responsibility, travelling in Mongolia can be both safe and fascinating.

⭐ Selected for you

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

• Asian Battery Metals Discoveries in Mongolia Expand Copper-Nickel Mineralisation. (DiscoveryAlert) 

• Golomt Bank Joins IFC’s Global Alliance for Green Commercial Banks. (GolomtBank)

• Mongolia Construction Industry Report 2025. (BusinessWire)

POLITICS

• In January, 11 Russians and 2 Kyrgyz were Deported from Mongolia. (AsiaNewsNetwork) 

• Foreign Workforce Triples Over 3 Years as Mining Leads Demand. (Unuudur)

• Mongolia Signs 10-Year MOU with BCRC China to Advance Zero‑Waste and Hazardous Waste Management. (Montsame)

• Why Did Mongolia Join Trump’s Board of Peace? (TheDiplomat)

• Mongolia Receives National Productivity Master Plan. (APO)

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

• Updates on SDG 1 in Mongolia. (BorgenProject)

• New Mongolian Grill Opening Soon in Trussville. (BhamNow)

• Camel Festival Held in Southern Mongolia. (XinhuaNews)

• Mongolia to Host 3rd Asian Permafrost Conference. (Kazinform)

🏦💸 EBRD Ramps Up Investment in Central Asia & Mongolia

In 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested nearly $2 billion across 120 projects in Central Asia and Mongolia, marking one of the Bank’s strongest operational results in the region in more than a decade.

3️⃣ Mongolia Ranks 3rd in the Region

Mongolia emerged as the third-largest recipient of EBRD investments in the region, receiving €188 million in 2025, its second-highest annual total on record. The country’s peak year remains 2024, when EBRD investment reached €264 million, coinciding with the bank’s highest-ever investment level in Central Asia.

• ⚖️ Regional comparison: Within the region, Uzbekistan remained the leading recipient for the 6th consecutive year, securing €880 million in EBRD funding in 2025. Kazakhstan followed with €378 million, while Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan received €183 million and €88 million, respectively.

💸 Where the Money Went in Mongolia?

In Mongolia, nearly 74% of the year’s EBRD investment reached the real economy through local partner banks. Key projects included,

• An A/B loan of up to €135 million to XacBank (XAC) under the Youth in Business programme, the largest EBRD transaction with a Mongolian bank to date.

• A €16.8 million loan to Khan Bank (KHAN), marking the EBRD’s first agribusiness-dedicated facility in Mongolia and Central Asia

• A €17.2 million financing package to Golomt Bank (GLMT) supporting women and youth-led enterprises and facilitating trade.

Beyond financial sector support, the EBRD also committed a sovereign loan of up to €33.5 million to develop a specialised cardiovascular hospital in Ulaanbaatar.

Overall… The increase in EBRD investment is a positive sign for Mongolian companies. Compared with other Central Asian countries, Mongolia is making rapid progress in the green transition, ranking above the regional average in 5 out of 6 EBRD financing criteria, according to the Bank’s report. By the way, we are collaborating with the EBRD on a podcast supporting SMEs. Click HERE to learn more about Mongolian businesses’ green transition, experiences, and financing opportunities. 😀

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Publisher: Ts.Ankhbayar
Writer: M.Khulan
Graphics by: Ts.Tselmeg

Disclaimer: The information Inside Mongolia provides is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be or constitute financial advice, trading advice, or any other advice. The decision whether to consider the information we provide is solely our readers' independent decision.