Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky advocates the guaranteed Ukrainian coal sale market and the creation of the State Committee for Coal Industry.

"There should be a guaranteed sales market and this market are Ukrainian thermal power plants. The state must protect Ukrainian coal, for this we need a balance of energy for the next 10 years, which would show how much coal we will mine," he said at a meeting of coal industry workers in Kyiv on Tuesday.

According to the president, now, Ukraine produces more coal than it can sell, but this should not be a problem for miners. "The task of the profile minister is to determine what the balance of energy should be, what proportion should belong to thermal generation," Zelensky said.

He also backed the idea of industry representatives to create the State Committee for Coal Industry.

"We will do it," Zelensky said.

In addition, the president considers it necessary to create a coordination center for the transformation of the coal industry, headed by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Development of Communities and Territories Denys Shmyhal, with the mandatory participation of representatives of coal enterprises, local authorities, in particular, heads of regional administrations.

"The problems of further development of the industry should be resolved systematically and regularly," the head of state said.

In addition, he said that the Ministry the Development of Communities and Territories needs to develop a program for the fair transformation of coal territories, which will include, in particular, a program for access to education for children of coal workers and support for older people.

According to him, according to this program, not a single coalmine can be closed until its employees are provided with other work with decent pay.

"The transformation of the coal industry should be fair. This is a long process, during which socio-economic opportunities for the development of coal territories will be gradually created," Zelensky said.

Addressing Minister of Energy and Environmental Protection Oleksiy Orzhel, he focused on the importance of a comprehensive solution to the issues of industry workers.

"When you talk with the miners about their future, you must first solve their past. And when you solve their problems, they will only then begin to trust you. Only in this way," Zelensky said.