Import of rough diamonds to Armenia from Russia to be simplified
25.12.2014,
18:14
Import of rough diamonds to Armenia from Russia will be facilitated, economy minister Karen Chshmarityan said at a Cabinet meeting today.
YEREVAN, December 25. / ARKA /. Import of rough diamonds to Armenia from Russia will be facilitated, economy minister Karen Chshmarityan said at a Cabinet meeting today.
He specified that the process of concluding agreements for supply of rough diamonds will be simplified and a mandatory requirement that the agreements be reconciled with the Armenian ministries of justice and finance will be eliminated.
The Armenian government has also approved today the signing of a protocol to the intergovernmental agreement between Armenia and Russia on cooperation in the supply of natural gas, petroleum products and natural rough diamonds.
This decision allows Armenian companies to buy natural rough diamonds from Russia without export duties and oversee their re-export, which is supposed to help boost local diamond cutting industry.
The main supplier of rough diamonds to Armenia is Russia; rough diamonds are imported also from Namibia, Israel, Guinea, Canada, Belgium and Sweden.
In the first ten months of 2014 Armenia imported 38,000 carats of rough diamonds from Russia and a total of 96,000 carats in 2013.
According to official numbers, in the first 10 months of this year Armenian diamond-cutting companies imported 107,000 carats of rough diamonds. The overall figure for 2013 was 178,000 carats. ($ 1- 461.10 drams). -0-
