US Ambassador Pam Slutz cuts the ribbon to open new NAMBC office
 in Ulaanbaatar
 13th AGM in Washington, DC, elects first Mongolian citizen as member of Board of Directors

(US Ambassador Pam Slutz and Vice Chairman Pete Morrow at entrance to new NAMBC office in UB)

US Ambassador Pamela Slutz cut the ribbon on December 12 to open the NAMBC's new permanent Ulaanbaatar office on Peace Avenue near Amarsanaagiin Street. She shared ribbon-cutting duties at the opening ceremony with NAMBC Vice Chairman Pete Morrow and SOCO General Manager Bob Vachon. In attendance were local NAMBC leaders including Jim Dwyer, Doug McGay, Ron Zeidel, and Badral Yondon, several Mongolian officials and a hallway filled with newspaper, TV and radio reporters.

Meanwhile, at the NAMBC's 13th annual general meeting in Washington, DC, December 7-9, delegates elected Mr. J. Od, President of MCS Holding Company, as the first Mongolian citizen to serve on the Board of Directors. Od, a former Foreign Policy Advisor to two Mongolian Prime Ministers, took the seat vacated by the retirement of Mike Nikkel of AES.

Chairman Jalsa Urubshurow and other officers and directors were reelected. The AGM's theme was "Towards a US-Mongolia FTA." The Mongolian government was ably and articulately represented by the Honorable Ts. Dashdorj, MP, a mining engineer who serves on the Ikh Hural's Standing Committee on Economic Policy, and Mr. D. Galsandorj, Director of Trade Policy & International Cooperation at the Ministry of Industry & Trade, who will be coordinating his ministry's role in the development of an FTA. Mongolian Ambassador to the US Ravdan Bold also spoke and personally hosted a reception in honor of the AGM delgates at the Mongolian Embassy, one of the highlights of the 3-day meeting. Other AGM speakers included Assistant Secretary of State Jim Kelly, Deputy Assistant USTR Charles Freeman, Washington lobbyist Mike Mitchell of Orion Strategies and three former US Ambassadors to Mongolia -- John Dinger, Joe Lake and Al La Porta.

The new UB office space and the services of Ms. Bolor, the new office manager, were donated by SOCO International. Office furnishings, equipment, signage and supplies were contributed by Wagner Asia, Magic Suit Company, Anod Bank, Santis Educational Services, Ag Bank and SOCO. At the opening ceremony Ambassador Slutz commented, "I am delighted that the North America Mongolia Business Group is opening an office in Ulaanbaatar. This office will become a center for improving the business and investment climate here. We are proud to share in this event and look forward to fruitful cooperation.

"The NAMBC is chaired by Jalsa Urubshurow, a Mongolian-American, one of the Council's original founders in 1990 and CEO of Nomadic Expeditions. Urubshurow said the new office is "both a symbol and a manifestation of the strong commitment to Mongolia and confidence in Mongolia shared by Canadian and American investors.

"NAMBC Vice Chairman Ed Story, CEO of SOCO International, the largest single investor in Mongolia, called the office opening "a big step forward that shortens the distances between Ulaanbaatar, Ottawa and Washington.

"Steve Saunders, president of the NAMBC, commented, "One reason we set up this office is because the Mongolian Government is the most accessible government in Asia, with leaders who sincerely encourage two-way dialogue with the foreign business community. This office will help expand that dialogue.

"NAMBC is an organization of both foreign and Mongolian businesses that strongly advocates for increased trade and investment in Mongolia," said Pete Morrow, CEO of the Agricultural Bank, who heads the NAMBC's local activities in Mongolia. "This new office will coordinate our many efforts to work with the Government and the public for improved policies that translate into jobs and economic growth." The local office of the NAMBC has organized Working Groups on Mining, Business Climate and the US-Mongolia FTA. The UB-based NAMBC meets monthly. For details on the Working Groups, contact Pete Morrow, [email protected]; on the monthly meetings, contact Doug McGay, [email protected] Several Mongolian companies have recently joined the NAMBC as voting members, including Capital Bank, Agricultural Bank, Anod Bank, the Institute of Finance and Economics, Star-Melchers and MCS Holding Company. North American Members include SOCO Oil, Wagner Asia, Nomadic Expeditions, Coca Cola Company, Boeing, Caterpillar, Ivanhoe Mines, Cameco, International Uranium, the Asia Foundation, Gallant Minerals and others with business interests in Mongolia.

(Mark Tokola, DCM at US Embassy/UB, SOCO Mongolia chief Bob Vachon, Ag Bank CEO Pete Morrow and US Ambassador Pam Slutz toast the NAMBC office opening)

(UB Coordinating Committee members Doug McGay and  Bob Vachon await ribbon cutting)

(Bolorsuvd Tuya is new manager of NAMBC-UB office)