Country Clearance for MCA's Roche International

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ULAANBAATAR 000829 SIPDIS SIPDIS MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE FOR JIM HALLMARK STATE FOR EAP/EX/CM ROBERTO G. BRADY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA EAID KMCA ECON MG SUBJECT: Country Clearance for MCA's Roche International Consultants REF: (A) CHEN-GOLDBECK EMAIL: 11/08/06, (B) CHALLENGE 00000295, (C) ULAANBAATAR 793 ¶1. We welcome and grant country clearance to Roche International consultants Christian Berube, David Burns, Asil Gezen, Dennis Lindberg, Lawrence Phipps, and Deana Silverston for their travels to Mongolia during the month of November. The purpose of the visit is to work with MCC's Burak Inanc and Marycel Tuazon (refs) on the continuation of due diligence of the rail project. ¶2. POC: Your point of contact is Oyuna Boldbaatar, MCC Staff Assistant. Contact numbers are as follows: --Office Telephone Number: N/A --Cellular Number: (976) 9919-3959; --Fax Number is N/A; --Home Number: (976-11) 361-751; --Email Address: oyuka80@yahoo.com --Duty Officer Number: (976) 9911-4168. ¶3. VOUCHERS: Post has limited staff and resources. TDY travelers visiting post for less than 30 days should pay all travel bills and then voucher the expense when they return to their duty station. ¶4. HOTEL: Hotel bookings for the consultants are made at Ulaanbaatar hotel. The hotel's telephone number is (976-11) 320-237, and its fax number is (976-11) 324-485. Please provide the hotel administration with your credit card information upon arrival to allow them enough time to process the charges. ¶5. VISA: A visa is not required for Mongolia. If you will travel via Beijing, you must have a valid Chinese visa for each time you land in China. This means a double-entry visa if your itinerary is Beijing-Ulaanbaatar-Beijing. The Chinese require a visa even to transit between two international flights. If you don't have a valid (unused) visa, the airline will not let you on board, and your travel will be delayed. ¶6. DOMESTIC AIR TRAVEL RESTRICTION: "The U.S. Embassy prohibits U.S. government personnel use of MIAT domestic service for official travel because of uncertainties regarding MIAT's service schedule, aircraft certification and insurance status. This prohibition does not extend to MIAT's international flights. " ¶7. EXPORT LIMITS: Mongolia limits the export of art, antiques, and icons. Reputable art and antique dealers can give you documents that will let you export what you buy. Customs duties, however, may apply, and you must be ready to pay in cash (not credit card). We can give you more information. ¶8. SECURITY SITUATION: Mongolia and Ulaanbaatar are generally safe places to visit. Mongolians accept foreigners readily and are congenial hosts. There is no known specific threat to Americans. However, the poor economic situation and obviousness of foreigners makes us easy targets for petty crime. We strongly recommend that you carry only the money you expect to need and leave your passport, wallet, and other valuables in the hotel's safekeeping. We recommend that you be especially cautious at night and in crowded public places, such as the "black market," within and in front of the State Department shopping store, and anywhere foreigners frequent. Pick pocketing is an increasing problem. ¶9. HEALTH CARE: Health care for Embassy personnel and visitors is provided by the Embassy's Health Unit and the SOS International Clinic in Ulaanbaatar. The Embassy's Health Unit's telephone number is (976-11) 313-133. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday 1:00pm - 5:00pm. For appointments outside of scheduled office hours please call Eric Wood at 9911-4730. The SOS International Clinic's telephone/fax number is (976-11) 342-550. The clinic is expensive and requires payment upon receipt of services. It is important that your health insurance is up to date. Filling an insurance claim is the responsibility of the visitor. SOS International takes MasterCard, Visa, or cash as payment. ¶10. GENERAL MEDICAL INFORMATION: We suggest that you talk with your medical office about recommended inoculations. Over-the-counter drugs such as cold, fever, and painkiller medications are not readily available. Plan to bring enough over-the-counter and prescription medicines to last your entire time in Mongolia. You should take health precautions in Mongolia: drink only bottled or boiled drinks, and eat only hot, freshly prepared food. Also, we recommend that you wear sturdy shoes with good traction. ¶11. WEATHER: Ulaanbaatar has an extreme continental climate. The weather is unpredictable. It can be cold anytime September through May, and is extremely cold November through February. Summertime temperatures can approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Spring is an ULAANBAATA 00000829 002 OF 002 uncertain time of year, with occasional high winds and snow. We recommend you be prepared with layers of clothing and warm, sturdy footwear. Several internet sites, including Yahoo! Weather, give forecasts for Ulaanbaatar. ¶12. DOLLARS AND TUGRUGS: Mongolia's financial infrastructure is still limited. Traveler's checks are rarely accepted. Mongolia is a predominantly cash based economy. Western-oriented businesses and hotels accept credit cards - Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Hotels provide official currency exchange. ¶13. WEBSITE: Please visit our Embassy website at http://ulaanbaatar.usembassy.gov. It provides interesting and useful information. Mongolia is a beautiful and fascinating country; we hope you will have a chance to see a bit of it after work hours. ¶14. We look forward to your arrival. Regards. MINTON