President
Ts. Elbegdorj has issued a decree to promote the use of the traditional
Mongolian script with effect from July 11. It says, “Official letters by
the President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister and members of the
cabinet to officials of other countries in similar positions shall be written
in the traditional Mongolian script and will be translated to the language of
that country or any of the official languages of the United Nations and be
attached”.

The
decree also mandates the use of the script in documents such as birth and
marriage certificates, educational certificates and diplomas along with the
Cyrillic alphabet.

The
traditional Mongolian script was in use in Mongolia until 1946 when the
Cyrillic alphabet was introduced under pressure from the Soviet Union. It was
reintroduced in secondary schools in 1992 but most  Mongolians above their twenties do not know
how to write and read it.