RUSSIA’S KRISTALL SHIPS 1,200 CARATS OF ROUGH DIAMONDS TO ARMENIA IN 2008
Interfax
Feb 9 2009
Russia
Kristall, Russia’s largest producer of cut diamonds, shipped 1,200
carats of rough diamonds to Armenia in 2008 under tolling arrangements,
the head of the trade department at the Armenian Economics Ministry,
Gagik Kocharian told Interfax.
It was previously reported that Kristall would ship 6,000 to 7,000
carats of rough diamonds to the Diamond Company of Armenia (DCA).
A source at Kristall said the company shipped to Armenia "the volume
of raw material that was agreed upon with the partners."
He also said that Kristall has not dropped plans to open a
representative office in Armenia.
"We are waiting for the liberalization of Armenian legislation in
regard to rough diamonds and cut diamonds, and the Armenian side
has expressed a willingness to take this step. The issue of opening
a representative office has not been taken off the agenda, and the
fact that it has not been opened yet is not related to the crisis,"
the Kristall official said.
Kristall reached an agreement at the beginning of 2008 to process
some of its rough diamonds at cutting facilities in Armenia. Kristall
uses Armenian facilities to cut stones that would be unprofitable to
process in Russia.