OREANDA-NEWS. August 30, 2012. Recovery of the coal industry has already been begun. This was started by Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov at a meeting of the Cabinet.

For 7 months of this year, Ukrainian miners produced over 50 million tons of coal, which is more than the corresponding figure in 2011 to 2.5 million tons, or 6 percent.

"So, we can turn the page on which has been written about the futility of Ukrainian coal industry" - Mykola Azarov said.

According to the Prime Minister, a new page should start writing from the recognition of the fact that today we are "finalizing" coal beds explored and developed in the Soviet era.

"We should prepare to use new coalfields and build new mines - it is very expensive and it takes decades. But it should be done, given the prospects "- Mykola Azarov said.

The Prime Minister added that Chinese investors believe in the prospects of the Ukrainian coal industry, so "we need to create incentives and conditions that others also trust us."

"The coal industry of Ukraine should be a guaranteed base of the energy balance of the country", - PM noted.

The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industries to create a "road map" to develop the national coal industry until 2030. He stressed that an important component of this strategic project should be social development of areas where coal producers worked. To come to the issue complexly, in particular to take into account demographic factors, Mykola Azarov instructed to join to this work the Ministry of Social Policy and the National Academy of Sciences.