During the last 10 years, Angola was the only place in the world where extraction grew due to the discovery of new deposits, Azevedo said, as quoted by the Jornal de Angola newspaper.

According to Azevedo, by the end of 2022 the Angolan Diamond Exchange is scheduled to open in Luanda, which will partially replace the national company Sodiam in the current process of trading precious stones.

In his view, the operations of the stock exchange will grant greater transparency to sales and more profits for the State.

According to the newspaper, Azevedo’s remarks were presented at the Conference of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, held on Thursday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Participation in the event and bilateral exchanges with different businessmen confirmed the interest of foreign investors in setting up factories for cutting and polishing diamonds in the Saurimo development pole, in the northeast of the country, the minister informed.

Azevedo met in Dubai with the president of the important South African company De Beers, Bruce Cleaver, and confirmed the establishment of a negotiating commission for the return of the firm to Angola.

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