Ukrainian Coal Ministry is in talks on the increase of coal exports to Moldova, Bulgaria, Turkey and the Czech Republic, Coal Minister Viktor Poltavets said in an interview with the government's newspaper published on Thursday.
"Unfortunately, exports fell to the minimum... Now, we're in talks on the increase of supplies to Moldova, Bulgaria, Turkey and the Czech Republic," he said.
Poltavets noted that in Q1, 2009 1.25 million tonnes of coking coal was imported to Ukraine, despite an obvious oversupply of coal extracted in the country.
The minister said that blames of metals companies that domestic coking coal is of lower quality compared to imported one are not true.
"The price of imported coal is 40-60% higher [than the price of domestic coal]," he said.
Poltavets said that metals companies deliberately buy coal abroad to cut the price of coal extracted in the country.
"In crisis conditions, this is not a right thing, as they actually help foreign coal extractors, evoking losses for national coalmines," he said, adding that the Ukrainian prime minister had instructed to draw up a draft resolution on the import quotas for coking coal and the introduction of control over its quality.
