OREANDA-NEWS. Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL), one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, reports that Russia's Minister for Development of the Far East Alexander Galushka visited the company's production facilities on the territory of Russia's Far East Federal Region as part of his work tour of the Far East ports and infrastructure objects.

During his visit to the company's facilities, Alexander Galushka was accompanied by Chairman of Mechel OAO's Board of Directors Igor Zyuzin, First Deputy Minister Alexander Osipov and Deputy Minister Maxim Shereikin. The minister toured Neryungrinsky Open Pit, the Elga coal deposit, examined the 321-kilometer Ulak-Elga railway built on Mechel's own funds. Alexander Galushka also visited Trade Port Posiet, owned by Mechel, and Sea Trade Port Vanino, whose capacities are used to transship the company's coal products to Asia Pacific.

As part of the visit, a conference of ministry officials and business representatives was held, regarding perspectives for the coal industry's development in the region, issues of further development of industrial infrastructure and logistics, creation of a municipality at the Elga deposit, as well as issues of financial support for large-scale projects that are listed in the long-term development program for Russia's coal industry until 2030.

“Today Mechel is creating a powerful high-tech industrial cluster in Southern Yakutia, aimed at developing the entire region and trade ties with Asia Pacific," Russia's Minister for Development of the Far East Alexander Galushka noted.

“We are grateful to Alexander Galushka for his attention to our projects in the Far East Federal Region and his high appreciation of the Elga project. Russia's new coal industry development program stipulates that the mining focus will shift from Kuzbass to Eastern Siberia. In line with this trend, which has become evident a few years ago, in 2008 we began our large-scale investment project of developing the Elga coking coal deposit. We realize that this project is unique for the entire Far East region. The industrial cluster at Elga will become a flagship for Russia's coal industry," Chairman of Mechel OAO's Board of Directors Igor Zyuzin noted.