Government to help miners if new economic crisis starts - Putin
MOSCOW. Aug 20 (Interfax) - The government will help miners if a new economic crisis starts, President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting, which marked the upcoming Miner's Day.
"I want to stress once again that no matter what the world economic or market situation may be, and this situation is still troublesome with numerous factors of uncertainty, we, the same as we did in the previous years, just recently, amid the global economic and financial crisis, will not leave anyone face to face with the possible difficulties. Hopefully, that will not happen; one should always hope for the best but be prepared for various scenarios," he said.
He said he was sure any problems could be solved.
"We will work together and strengthen the foundation of Russia's economic, industrial and technological development," Putin said.
Coal mining in Russia grew by a quarter, while coal exports tripled in the past decade. Almost 340 million tonnes of coal were produced in 2011, which was a record indicator in the entire newest history of Russia, Putin said.