^{Source: en.News.mn, Undesnii Shuudan  Date: 29 March, 2010}

Talking to media about the possibility of work on the Oyu Tolgoi project starting on April 6 as scheduled, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy D.Zorigt has said he sees no problems but certain “political interests have their own agenda and are trying their best to create last-minute hurdles”. Work in several areas has already begun.

The investors have accepted the logic of most of the reservations of the Professional Mineral Council about sections of the feasibility study. They have given fresh figures for the mine’s exploitable capacity and have agreed to leave Mongolia out of paying the 2% royalty fees to BHP Billiton. They have also accepted the council’s requirement to increase the factory output after five years by improving the water reserve. Some not-so-major energy and infrastructure issues are still unresolved. The Council will consider the reply soon.

The Council wanted more exploration of the 19 million tons left out in the investors’ feasibility study. The investors have agreed to review their study. Referring to Erdenet where, too, the reserve estimated at 4 million tons when work started was gradually raised to 16 million tons, Mr. Zorigt said, “I don’t understand why people are claiming that the company deliberately calculated the reserve as lower than actual and wanted to throw away 19 million tons.”

The Minister said the Council’s objections were made on professional grounds and will be settled in a similarly professional manner. That is as it should be, but he failed to appreciate why certain politicians continue to play politics with something of overriding national importance. Politicians had had “enough time to discuss everything related to the political side of the project before Parliament approved of the terms of the agreement”, but now that work is about to begin, they “are back scrutinizing things through their political prism, twisting issues to gain political mileage”, the Minister said.

Mr. Zorigt hoped these renewed efforts to politicize the issue at this late stage would soon end and professional people would be allowed to do their job without interference. The Mineral Council, he feels, is perfectly capable of protecting the technical interests of Mongolia and would work better without interference from politicians.