ALROSA President to Participate in 2015 Presidents' Meeting

(IDEX Online News) – ALROSA’s newly elected president, Andrey Zharkov, will be heading a delegation to attend the upcoming 2015 Presidents' Meeting.

Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) president Shmuel Schnitzer said the IDE board and the presidium of the Israel Diamond Manufacturers Association (IsDMA) will meet with the ALROSA delegation for follow up talks on the MoU signed by ALROSA and IDE during the International Diamond Week in Israel earlier this year.

"We're delighted to have Mr. Zharkov with us for the Presidents' Meeting," said Schnitzer, who is also an honorary World Federation of Diamond Bourses’ president.

"Since the topic of rough diamond supplies will be high on the agenda…we appreciate Mr. Zharkov taking time to spend with us and take part in our organization's discussions and deliberations. The presence of two of the world's leading diamond suppliers, ALROSA and the De Beers Group, will facilitate significant discourse between the diamond industry and trade's leadership and the miners," Schnitzer added.

IsDMA president Jacob (Kobi) Korn, who is also executive vice president of the IDE, said the presence of two of the world's major diamond producers was an important landmark for the event.

"The current challenges our industry is facing affect all players in the diamond supply pipeline," he noted. "Industry financing - and the perceived lack of it - as well as the dwindling market share of diamonds and diamond jewelry in the consumer markets are of concern to all of us. The miners are very much aware of these challenges and we look forward to interacting with them on these issues."

The President’s Meeting, which takes place in Tel Aviv from June 14-16, is the biennial gathering of the WFDB and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association. It is hosted by the IDE and IsDMA.