"We spoke with Alrosa, we said what our expectations are, our interests, Angola's interests come first and we are working towards this with Alrosa", said the government official in Saurimo where the 2nd International Diamond Conference of Angola takes place.
The Russian multinational, the target of sanctions due to the war in Ukraine, holds a 41 percent stake in the Catoca mining company, the largest Angolan open-pit mine and one of the largest in the world, making it difficult to sell Angolan diamonds.
"We recognize the importance that Alrosa had for the Angolan diamond sector, but we also recognize the current situation, but first the interests of Angola and it is in this direction that we are working. It is a matter of patience", he reinforced.
The government has recently been looking for a way out to change the shareholding structure of the Catoca mining company, with no solutions so far.
Last week the issue of the sale of the Russian company's shares in the Catoca diamond mine came up again, with Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseyev saying that Alrosa continues to look for a buyer for its shares in Catoca, making it clear that the buyer cannot have links with the South African company De Beers, which controls a percentage of the rough diamond market similar to Alrosa, according to a report by Voice of America.
"What I can say is that the Angolan government always has the mission to protect its interests, it is open to working with all institutions and companies that exist around the world, as long as our interests are duly taken into account and that we can move towards increasingly developing our diamond sector", replied the minister, refusing to comment on the statements.
Regarding a possible departure of Alrosa from Angola, he highlighted that the country's development process "is dynamic" and that Angola works "every day with all partners" to solve problems and move forward, "always maintaining sovereignty".
Regarding the effects of sanctions on Russian diamonds and the decision by the G7 (a group that brings together the seven largest economies in the world) that requires African countries to send their diamonds to Antwerp, Belgium, for certification, he stated that the presidents of Angola and from other African producing countries such as Namibia and Botswana wrote to the G7 countries, making known their dissatisfaction with measures that put African countries at risk.
"We are open to discussing all aspects, but we would like them to also take into account our concerns and our interests and the sovereignty of our countries", highlighting that Angola remains fully open to working with all institutions.
"But always taking into account our interests, our vision, what we want for the country, the vision is ours, the projects are ours and whoever wants to come work with us, respect what we want, then we interact in a win-win way", he highlighted.
In terms of competition from synthetic diamonds, he highlighted that it is up to Angola to "protect and promote" natural diamonds, seeking more production, but also more transparency", avoiding actions that negatively impact the environment and making diamonds more attractive to consumers.
As for a possible expansion of the Saurimo diamond hub into a second phase, it is not planned for now, as the capacity to install factories is not exhausted, but there is, however, the intention to create a similar hub in Dundo (Lunda Norte), as well as another center for ornamental rocks in Namibe.
The minister reinforced, in his opening speech at the conference, that we cannot condone mining, associated with illegal immigration and violation of human rights, remembering that the semi-industrial exploration of diamonds allows the use of simple instruments, while the mining activity "not welcome".
He admitted, on the other hand, that it is difficult to sell diamonds because the price is low and revenue forecasts are a little lower than expected, but that the executive continues working to achieve the goals.
Regarding the objectives of the conference, he indicated that the aim, above all, is to promote Angolan diamonds, attract more investments and ensure that diamonds contribute more to the economic and social development of the country and to the good of communities along with mining projects. and to improve the lives of the population.
