Angolan President, José Eduardo dos Santos, said his country is committed to the highest standards of compliance in its diamond activities. He made the comments following the June 20-21 Angola Diamond Centenary Conference.
The president also said the country had an "open attitude to foreign investment" in a message to African mining ministers and world diamond leaders.
He received a top delegation of diamond producing countries and industry leaders on the second day of the conference organized by state-owned diamond firm Endiama to mark the occasion of the discovery 100 years ago of the first diamond deposits in the country.
The delegation included the ministers of mines of South Africa and Namibia, Susan Shabangu and Isak Katali respectively, Kimberley Process Chair Ambassador Welile Nhlapo, World Diamond Council President Eli Izhakoff, Alrosa President Fyodor Andreev, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Executive Chairman Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Angola's Minister of Geology and Mines Francisco Queiroz, and Endiama Chairman Carlos Sumbula.
The President told the delegation that no violation of human rights linked to diamond exploitation would be allowed. He also emphasized Angola's open attitude to foreign investment and a tax rate for diamond companies of just 25 percent.
KP Chair Nhlapo said: "The assurances given by President dos Santos are the best possible witness of Angola's strong commitment to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)."
Meanwhile, Izhakoff said: "Angola was one of the first countries involved in the establishment of the KPCS and its continuous support is essential for the credibility of our unique supply control mechanism, probably the best in the whole commodities world."
