OREANDA-NEWS. Head of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen had a meeting with representatives of the Association of Miners of the republic to discuss plans of mining industry development in the region.

The Association of Miners of Karelia was founded in 2001, and now it has more than 50 participants. From the date of its foundation the association has been promoting development of the detailed information base on mineral resources of the republic and training of professional experts for the mining industry.

President of the Supreme Mining Council of the Association Yuri Korenkov has thanked Head of Karelia for his attention to mining industry development in the republic, search for investors for development of new deposits.

"In prospect, Karelia in the North-West is the most promising region for development of nonmetallic minerals. Building materials can become the source of benefits for the economy and the population of the republic through exploitation of mineral resources," – Yuri Korenkov added.

The meeting participants have proposed to develop a special Program of Exploitation of Mineral Resources in Karelia and the Subsoil Use Law of the republic.

Alexander Khudilainen has agreed with the prospectivity assessment of mining industry, having called it one of the main potentials for development of the republic.

In particular, work on production of road metal became more active last year. It has been developed 16 million cubic metres of road metal, 14% more than last year. Head of Karelia and the Ministry of Nature Management and Ecology of the republic have taken a tough line concerning those companies that did not produce extraction of minerals though they had all the necessary mining licenses. Within six months more than 30 companies have been deforced of the right to develop their deposits. Audit of efficiency of using the previously issued licenses will continue.

However, according to Alexander Khudilainen, the key role in the future of mining industry and Karelia as a whole belongs not to road metal, but to ore and various rare-earth metals. "We have great expectations about development of deposits eastward of Lake Onego. These prospects concern both nonmetallic minerals, and mineral resources as a whole," – Head of Karelia mentioned at the meeting with miners.

Alexander Khudilainen has agreed about the availability of development of the subsurface management program of the republic. All the interested organizations will be involved in this work, including the Association of Miners of Karelia.