MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/. Growth of coal mining in Russia must be accompanied by implementation of social support programs and an increase of investments into establishment of safety systems in mines, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at the meeting with heads of coal mining regions.
Provision of safe and decent labor conditions for miners is among pressing tasks in this sphere, the president said.
"I stress that coal production growth should be alongside with proactive rollout of advance technologies, higher investments into establishment of reliable safety systems and implementation of programs in the sphere of social support of enterprise employees and residents of regions at large," Putin said.
For authorities of coal mining regions, "it is utterly important to maintain ongoing working contacts and meaningful dialog with investors and managers of coal mining and processing enterprises," the president noted. "Wherein such cooperation is established and work is carried in interests of the people, pressing problems are more efficiently solved - provision of safe and decent labor conditions for miners in the first instance," Putin added.