Namibia Welcomes Neighbor's G7 Verification Point
December 11, 24
(IDEX Online) - Namibia's government has welcomed the news that its neighbor Botswana is to establish a diamond verification point to enforce G7 sanctions against Russia.
Diamond-producing countries across Africa have complained that a single point of entry into the G7 market - currently via Antwerp - is untenable, and adds extra costs and delays.
Last month the European Commission said a second verification point would open next year in Botswana. It also indicated Namibia, as well as Angola, could be next.
Tom Alweendo, Namibia's minister of mines and energy, welcomed the establishment of a verification point in Namibia, saying diamonds should be certified as close to their source as possible.
"We also welcome the commitment made in the same statement that the G7 Diamond Technical Team will continue to engage other African diamond-producing countries such as Namibia and Angola to set up additional export certification nodes," he said in a statement. "This is a step in the right direction."
The G7 Diamond Technical Team visited Namibia in September, and Alweendo said he looked forward to further interactions.
Pic of Tom Alweendo, copyright European Union.