Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the governors of Russia’s coal-producing regions to discuss the current state of the coal industry and its development strategy, presidential web page reports.
“The coal-mining industry has been making a tremendous contribution to this country’s development for almost 300 years. The industry now posts good coal production volumes and a confident export potential, as well as substantial growth prospects at new coal deposits, including those in Siberia and the Far East,” the President noted. “Large-scale plans are linked with the development of logistics and the coal-mining industry’s transport infrastructure, including efforts to expand the capacity of the Baikal-Amur Mainline and that of seaports in eastern and western Russia.”
“Expanded coal production should go hand in hand with the active introduction of modern technologies, greater investment in reliable safety systems and the implementation of programs stipulating social support for corporate workers and regional communities in general,” he said, pointing out that “It is dangerous and therefore unacceptable to try to produce millions of tons of coal to the detriment of the environment.”