From the Founder-Editor

Regular readers must have noticed that each issue of the journal carries a sentence on this page asserting that The Mongolian Mining Journal aims to “encourage a disciplined debate on development”. The present moment sees such a debate raging in Mongolia. Happily, development has begun to be seen through the prism of the country’s long-term interests, setting aside partisan political considerations and emotional imperatives. Debates have become businesslike, and it distinctly appears that a national consensus on the path to follow is emerging.

It may well be said that the Spring session of Parliament played a historic role in this. Its debates reflected the concerns of the people. It finally approved the principles that will govern the utilisation of the Tavan  Tolgoi deposit. A working group consisting of three Ministries has been entrusted by the Government to work on the issue. The nation waits to see how an internationally acceptable feasibility study is to be prepared. MMJ played its part in highlighting the issues in the debate and continues to present a balance view, giving equal space to diverging positions. I thank State officials, researchers, business entities and civil society representatives, who shared with us their views on social expectations and elucidated their position on controversial issues.

This issue of The Mongolian Mining Journal gives the results of a survey to find out who the people thought contributed most to answering their questions, resolving their doubts and to determining  the best path to development. The survey was to find out  “the most mentioned  economists, analysts and social activists” in the first half of 2010. We wanted the respondents to identify those who tried to answer most of their ‘why’s and ‘how’s.

Our readers are well aware of our commitment to reconciling differences and to reaching a consensus. Proper and sustainable development can be possible only when contradictory positions come to converge. We seek to bring together the miner, working under difficult conditions to create wealth for the country, the MP, tirelessly formulating policies that make life easier and better, and the entrepreneur, who is not afraid to take risks so that the nation benefits.  Their stories dot our pages and when the dots are connected they show the path of development.