The President of the Central African Republic, President Faustin Archange Touadera has saluted the support of Russia in the lift of a ten-year-old ban on its diamond. His message is contained in a letter addressed to President Putin, according to the Embassy on Monday.
The Central African Republic has successfully secured the lifting of a decade-long ban on its diamonds. In that regard, the Central African Republic’s President Faustin-Archange Touadera sent a message of gratitude to his Russian counterpart , President Vladimir Putin in connection with Russia’s support for the lifting of the embargo on diamond exports at the Kimberley Process plenary meeting held in Dubai on November 15, the embassy to the CAR said in a statement.
President Touadera noted the special role played by the Russian Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov, employees of the Russian Ministry of Finance and Russian experts working in the CAR, whose efforts were aimed at restoring peace and security in the country.
The Embassy in the statement pointed out « the lifting of restrictions on the trade in precious stones will create favorable conditions for the sustainable economic development of the Central African Republic and ensure an increase in the standard of living of the population. »
Diamond is one of the main natural resources of the central African Republic accounting for the nation’s main income.
Let’s recall that during the last UN General Assembly, President Faustin Archange Touadera had called for the complete lifting of the embargo, asserting that the country is now “relatively stable.”
The CAR was under a diamond embargo for 11 years before the recent decision by the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition to lift it, according to reports.