Energy Cooperation between Mongolia and Russia: Current State and Strategic Directions

Although Russia occupies the second rank among trading partners of Mongolia, energy cooperation between the two countries is currently limited by the power transmission and delivery of oil products and liquefied natural gas. There are however economic prerequisites for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in this field. One of its strategic directions is the development of gas distribution network in the Baikal region and Mongolia in the case of construction of the gas pipeline «Russia-China» through the Mongolian territory. Siberian oil can be used as a feedstock for the oil refinery project in Mongolia. An important issue of the energy cooperation between the two countries is participation in the development of the Tavan Tolgoi coking coal deposit, in particular, supply of mining equipment and a railway construction to ensure coal export to the NEA market through the Far Eastern ports. Regarding cooperation in the electric power industry, the authors note collaborative construction of new generating capacities and power grid facilities that provide both parallel operation of border energy systems and the creation of interstate electric power syste