With the memorandum signed during the visit of the Prime Minister of Mongolia, J. Erdenebat, to Japan, opportunities are opening up for Mongolian Tavantolgoi coal to reach overseas third markets such as Japan and Korea.

Under the memorandum, coking coal mined at Tavantolgoi and washed to defined standards will be delivered to overseas markets through Chinese territory, initially on a trial basis. The parties will also work towards the main objective of supplying Mongolian coal to third markets long-term and establishing stable export cooperation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Fujiwara, representing the Sumitomo group, said that Japan has a need and an interest in importing coal from Mongolia, but stressed that in order to establish long-term, stable exports, the conditions for transit transport through Chinese territory must first be made workable. Energy Resources had previously carried out trial shipments of washed coking coal to third markets such as India, Japan and Germany.