Distinguished Guests and Participants

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to warmly welcome you all to this joint webinar themed: “LEADING THE WORLD OF DIAMONDS IN THE NEW AGE”, in building a better world today and tomorrow post-COVID-19.

The geology and mineral resources of Angola are recognised internationally as one of greatest potential in the world. Furthermore, it is also known that the Diamond industry plays an important role in the development of the Angolan economy. However, we are confident that the mineral industry in general can contribute more to the growth and development of the Angolan economy at even greater scale, according to the goals of our Government led by His Excellency, the President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço.

In today’s Webinar, we wish to share with you, our new vision for the Angolan Diamond industry. Our journey on this vision started when the Angolan Government decided to introduce political and legislative reforms to improve the business environment for the exploration, exploitation and trading of diamonds in Angola. The adoption of the New Diamond Trading Policy and the implementation of the New Governance Model for the Mining Industry, confirms our commitment to create a better business environment to motivate and mobilize prominent private investors in the Angola Mining industry in general and particularly in the Diamond industry. We need to put in more effort and push for the current reform process to succeed. We call it reform and not review, because we have had many reviews with very little meaningful return. Our Government is committed to work together with the private sector to develop the Angolan Mining Industry. Thus, the decision was taken to partially privatise ENDIAMA, to liquidate FERRANGOL, to create the National Mineral Resources Agency and create the Angolan Diamond Bourse. Thus, we encourage and welcome private investor to actively get involved and participate in the Angolan Mining Industry.

Distinguished Participants

Over the last months, our Ministry and The New Jeweller hosted joint events to mark the diamond new era for Angola, as the diamond future destination. Unfortunately, this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we could not meet physically with all of you distinguished participants.

Despite the pandemic, work must continue! That’s why we decided to host this online joint Webinar, to promote the Angola Diamond Industry and to present several business opportunities to potential investors and participants in this very important event taking place now.

When we gathered in the last year’s Webinar, none of us imagined that the world would continue engulfed by a common enemy, the COVID-19 pandemic, that has claimed more than a million lives around the globe, increased uncertainty, insecurity and revealed cracks in the system of global diamond industry. The pandemic has awfully reminded us of the indispensable value of doing business together within the global diamond industry. We have seen that, as with other challenges, no one acting alone can successfully deal with the pandemic. While commendable multilateral cooperation between States has been witnessed, the pandemic has also raised the question of how the world global diamond industry should be organised in its aftermath.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In Angolan, oil production is the lifeblood of our economy, followed by the Diamond Industry. This industry contributes to economic growth and social prosperity, as well as to the diversification of the economy. In this regards, it is now time to seriously take action in focusing on real business opportunities, transparency and ethical diamond trade. Thus, we can finally make good on our promises and make things happen, aiming for a diamond economy growth and employment benefits.

We trust that today’s panel discussions will help to present to you, why Angola is the future investment destination in the global diamond industry and to suggest in this ‘Angola Global Diamond eConclave 2021’, practical ways to build better and develop sustainable projects in leading the world of diamonds in the new age, from now and for a postCOVID-19 world.

Distinguished Participants

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Angolan Government has decided to attract private entities to invest in the Angolan diamond value chain. As a first step, we are about to launch the Saurimo Diamond Development Hub, expected to happen during the second half of 2021. We are starting with 4 new diamond cutting and polishing factories. There is space for more factories and we invite you to join us in this project. Also, the forthcoming Angola Diamond Bourse which is to start its operation soon, as well the launch of Angola International Diamond Conference (AIDC) - 2021 to be held in Saurimo, during the last quarter of the current year, are some of the many online events to be held in 2021, according to the Angolan Business Calendar. In this regard, we will also focus on strengthening relationship between Angola and other main Diamond Centres, like Dubai, Mumbai, Antwerp and Israel, etc.

We offer investment Opportunities for Global Diamond Manufacturing Companies for factory set-up and generating local employment in Angola. Thus, we are also inviting allied Services Companies to set up offices in Angola, like Diamond Tendering Companies, Technology and Machinery Companies for diamond cutting and polishing.

In conclusion, with these few remarks, it is my pleasure to declare the ‘Angola Global Diamond eConclave 2021’, officially open and to invite the investors of the wold diamond industry, locally and internationally, to join us in Angola when doing business in Africa.

I welcome you all and thank you!