Belgium: Belgium to train Ivorian experts on surveillance of diamond exports

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) – Three Ivorian diamond experts will be trained by the Anvers World Diamond Center (AWDC) for the surveillance of diamond exports from Côte d'Ivoire in a bid to enable the country to export the precious metal legally on the international market, official sources said on Tuesday.

Mrs Margeaux Donker, AWDC spokesperson, told the press that since 2003, the UN had placed Côte d'Ivoire on the black list of countries banned from exporting diamonds, because at that time, Ivorian rebel groups exported the precious stones to purchase armament, an illegal trade system called "blood diamond".

She said that now that the political situation had stabilized in the country, it was high time diamond exports from Côte d'Ivoire responded to the Kimberly Process (KP), a system of diamond certification, established by the United Nations and which comprises about 100 countries and international organizations.

Belgium is happy to help Côte d'Ivoire export diamonds to the international market for the development of the country, Mrs Donker said, adding that the country could sell between 150,000 and 200,000 carats valued at about US$25 million.
-0-PANA AK/BEH/IBA/MSA/MA 16Dec2014