MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. The Arkticugol Trust Company is awaiting the arrival of a delegation from the Republic of Korea to discuss participation in projects on Spitsbergen and possible use of Russian infrastructures on the archipelago for scientific and logistical purposes, Director General of the Arcticugol state-run company Ildar Neverov told TASS.

"The Korean delegation's visit is due approximately in two weeks. Noteworthy, international cooperation on the trust's infrastructure has been regular - practically every week representatives of a number of European countries work on projects on Spitsbergen," he said.

The company also cooperates with Chinese partners, he continued. For example, on May 7, Arcticugol inked a comprehensive memorandum of cooperation with the Qingdao University. As part of this collaboration, Chinese scientists have crossed three seas to travel from Murmansk to Barentsburg. "For them, this has essentially become a new research and logistics practice," the company's leader said.

Russia's operations on Spitsbergen continue for more than 90 years. The Arcticugol State Trust Company was founded in 1931. It produces 120,000 tons of coal per year. The company owns an area of 251 square kilometers.