Ulaanbaatar, April 17, 2025 /MONTSAME/. As part of the implementation of the Regional Development Plan of Mongolia, an expanded meeting of the Khangai Regional Council was held on April 14, 2025, in Tsetserleg soum, Arkhangai aimag. Based on the proposals adopted during the Council meeting, the Cabinet of Mongolia made the following decisions during its regular session on April 16, 2025.

1. On Accelerating the Development of the Khangai Region:

-Commence the Thermal Power Plant Project in Arkhangai aimag with concessional financing from the Export-Import Bank of the Republic of Korea (KEXIM), and resolve the stagnation in the Thermal Power Plant Projects of Bayankhongor and Uvurkhangai aimags;

-Conduct a detailed environmental impact assessment for the Baidrag Hydropower Plant Project;

-Implement, by 2026, solar power plants with a capacity of 10 MW and battery storage systems with a capacity of 20 MWh in each aimag of the region through public-private partnership;

-Study and resolve the financing required for the development of feasibility studies for the following road projects: the road connecting Bogd soum, Uvurkhangai aimag to Gurvantes soum, Umnugobi aimag; the road from Bayankhongor soum, Bayankhongor aimag to Bulgan soum Arkhangai aimag; and the road connecting Arvaikheer-Taragt-Uyanga soum. Also, address the financing of the Mandal-Ovoo road, which branches off from the Arvaikheer-Mandalgobi-Choir horizontal axis road in Uvurkhangai aimag;

-Commission infrastructure facilities designed for local development centers and their corresponding soums, and expedite the completion of engineering design works for infrastructure facilities in other soums;

-Construct new centralized water supply and wastewater treatment systems at the Tsenkher Hot Springs Resort area in Tsenkher soum, Arkhangai aimag and Bayanlig soum, Shargaljuut village, Bayankhongor aimag. Additionally, develop feasibility studies for the expansion of wastewater treatment facilities in Rashaant soum, Bulgan aimag and Kharkhorin soum, Uvurkhangai aimag;

-Study the establishment of branch campuses of the Mongolian University of Life Sciences and other necessary higher education institutions in line with the region’s economic priorities and labor market demands, and develop specialized vocational and technical education institutions;

-Collaborate with the Khangai Regional Council to develop and implement projects and measures aimed at establishing core breeding livestock herds suited to the region’s characteristics, supporting the processing of raw materials of animal origin, and advancing agriculture, food production, and related services.

2. On Developing the Khangai Region as a Specialized Tourism Region:

-The “Tourism Development Plan for the Khangai Region” will be jointly developed and implemented with the participation of non-governmental organizations and professional associations;

-The issue of allocating land for tourism and intercity road-related services to citizens, businesses, and organizations will be studied, and the relevant draft legislation will be developed;

-The financing issues of the “Museum of History, Ethnography, and Natural History” in Bayankhongor aimag and the construction of the Orkhon Valley World Heritage Site Protection Administration building in Kharkhorin soum, Uvurkhangai aimag will be reviewed and resolved.

Furthermore, to determine cloud movement and transformation with high accuracy within the region and to strengthen the system of early detection and warning of severe weather events, it has been decided to establish a meteorological radar station and related facilities in Kharkhorin soum, Uvurkhangai aimag. It has also been decided to allocate the necessary funding from the Government Reserve Fund to develop the road plan for the 53 km Gurvanbulag to Elsentasarkhai road section and the 224.6 km Bogd soum to Shiveekhuren port road section, which are parts of the 1,073.79 km Baga-Ilenkh to Shiveekhuren Road Project that currently lack road plans.

In connection with the 390th birth anniversary of Undur Gegeen Zanabazar, a prominent figure in Mongolia’s statehood, religion, and cultural history, to be commemorated in 2025, the required funding will be allocated from the Government Reserve Fund.

By effectively implementing the measures outlined in the draft resolution, it is expected that coordination between the government and local institutions will be ensured to support the socio-economic development of the Khangai Region. It is also expected that the economic benefits for aimags and local areas will increase, and that tourism infrastructure capable of promoting Mongolia internationally and attracting more tourists will be established.