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Author Archives: JDierkes
Guessing the Next PM
By Julian Dierkes In response to some discussions on Twitter, I now offer this prediction board in three categories, time to election of new PM, coalition that will elect the new PM, and the new PM. While individuals may choose to … Continue reading
What/Who Comes After Altankhuyag
By Julian Dierkes In the morning of Nov 5, 2014, 11 of the 17 members of the standing committee of the State Great Khural voted in support of a vote of no confidence in PM Altankhuyag. This passed the motion … Continue reading
Political Turmoil – November 2014
This is approximately the third time that the Altankhuyag government seems to have faced serious opposition in parliament as well as in the DP itself. PM Altankhuyag has been surprisingly and impressively skilled at staying in the PM’s position despite … Continue reading
Parliament(s), Rifles and Me
By Julian Dierkes With all the turmoil in the Mongolian government at the moment it seems very challenging to write a blog post that will add any clarity as it will become obsolete virtually the moment I might press <publish> … Continue reading
Progress on Oyu Tolgoi?
By Julian Dierkes The Mongolian government has been battling a homemade economic crisis for some two years now. It has been a largely self-inflicted crisis brought on by some hasty policy decisions regarding investments that have led to a massive … Continue reading
Posted in China, Foreign Investment, Foreign Policy, Mining, Oyu Tolgoi, Policy, Russia
Tagged Julian Dierkes
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Appreciating the Work of the Canadian Embassy
I am not even Canadian, and I don’t work for the Canadian or for the Mongolian government for that matter, though they are obviously important interlocutors for me given my interest in economic, political, and social development in Mongolia. Yet, … Continue reading
Posted in Bilateral Aid, Canada, Foreign Policy, Governor General's Visit 2013
Tagged Julian Dierkes
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Joint Statement Lu Bold & J Baird
Foreign Ministers Lu Bold and John Baird issued a joint statement following their discussions in Ulaanbaatar. The statement included no surprises nor any concrete news that I can discern, but no translation is available yet. The topics covered in the … Continue reading
DFATD Announcement of FM Baird Visit
On July 22 the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development confirmed previous reporting in the Mongolia press that Foreign Minister Baird will be visiting Mongolia later this week: In his first trip to Mongolia, Baird will discuss the … Continue reading
Posted in Bilateral Aid, Canada, Development, Foreign Investment, Foreign Policy, International Relations
Tagged Julian Dierkes
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FM Baird to Visit Mongolia
According to Mongolian news sources ( 24 Tsag | infomongolia.com), Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird will be visiting Ulaanbaatar July 23-25. There’s no official Canadian announcement as of July 20, but let’s assume that this visit is really happening, after … Continue reading
Canadian Development Aid
The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development revised its list of priority countries in June 2014 to include Mongolia. Past Bilateral Engagement This is a further step in the long-term process to increase Canadian-Mongolian bilateral engagement. A bilateral … Continue reading
New to Ulaanbaatar in May 2014
By Julian Dierkes Back in October 2013, I made a list of things that are arriving to/disappearing from central Ulaanbaatar. I’ve copied that list here and am adding to it. New items since October 2013 that I’m adding in May … Continue reading
In Ulaanbaatar with EITI Project Graduate Students
Together with Dirk van Zyl, a colleague in UBC’s NBK Institute of Mining Engineering, I supervised an interdisciplinary group of graduate students in a project on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and focused especially on EITI reporting in Mongolia … Continue reading
The Cluttering of Ulaanbaatar
By Julian Dierkes Caveats: I am no city planner, nor a scholar of urban development. I also don’t have a strong sense of what’s happening in Ulaanbaatar outside the very small downtown area within, say, 4km of Sukhbaatar Square. Yet, … Continue reading
State-Sponsored Formalization of Household Herding in Rural Bayanhongor
“A herder is master of 1000 professions.” President Elbegdorj, printed at the top of herder diplomas The Presence of the State in Rural Mongolia Over the course of my dissertation fieldwork in Mongolia, I spent a considerable amount of time … Continue reading
Is the Altankhuyag Government Teetering?
Prime Minister Altankhuyag has been leading the government for almost two years. To an outside observer like me, he has remained a puzzle in how he has been able to keep a coalition and a divided party united first for … Continue reading