Meeting participants noted that the commission has done much to implement its decisions in the last year.

"On March 20 of this year the government endorsed the commission-drafted strategy of the Russian presence on the Spitsbergen Archipelago until 2020," Mr Zubkov said, opening the meeting of the commission. The strategy reflects the legal aspects of Russia's presence on the archipelago, major tasks in this context, as well as the principles and mechanisms of its stage-by-stage implementation and the expected results.

"The Foreign Ministry must finish coordinating the plan of measures set forth in the strategy and all ministries involved must actively join the efforts to implement it," Mr Zubkov said.

Members of the commission reviewed a report on the operation of the Arktikugol state coal mining company in 2011 and the programme for its production and financial activities in 2012. They discussed the current state of affairs and its programme for the future, as well as urgent production and social issues, and heard proposals of its management on improving its work with a view to saving federal budget funds.

On the commission's instructions Arktikugol carried out a number of measures in 2011 aimed at improving its economic performance. Thus, it reduced production costs by half (to 3.3 thousand roubles for a tonne), ensured safety at the operating mine, and carried out basic construction and reconstruction of production and social facilities as well as housing. During the discussion Mr Zubkov instructed the company to continue reducing its production costs.

Members of the commission noted the regular and constructive work of the Russian-Norwegian Inter-Government Commission on Economic Cooperation and of the Mixed Fishing Commission. Mr Zubkov instructed the Foreign Ministry to continue consultations with Norway, paying special attention to expanding transport routes, exploration of mineral resources and economic and research activities by Russian organisations in the area of the Spitsbergen Archipelago.

In conclusion the commission endorsed a proposal, dratted by the Federal Agency for Fishery on Mr Zubkov's instruction, on allocating a plot of land to the Arktik Resurs investment company for the construction of a fish processing factory in the village of Barentsburg.

Mr Zubkov instructed the Federal Agency for Fishery and other interested parties to help the investor in drafting and obtaining approval for pre-design and design documentation necessary for the factory's construction.

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The government commission on the Russian presence on the Spitsbergen Archipelago was established in 2007. Since May 2011 it has been headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov.