Avi Paz, president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), is confident that participants at the Kimberley Process meeting to take place next week in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will remove the barriers preventing the export of rough diamonds from the controversial Marange deposits.



"In spite of the numerous and difficult obstacles the KP has encountered during the past year, the KP is very much alive, and its participants across the board are strongly motivated to assure that it continue to fulfill its mandate," Paz stated. "With regards to Zimbabwe, I have been encouraged in the past few weeks by the constructive and positive comments I have heard from the KP chair, members and participants across the board, and also by the World Diamond Council President Eli Izhakoff's statement, noting that the issue remains mostly a procedural matter," Paz added.



Paz also emphasized the WFDB's ongoing full and unequivocal support for the World Diamond Council (WDC) and in particular of its president Eli Izhakoff.



Paz said that while his organization would support a KP decision to allow Zimbabwe to resume rough diamond exports from all diamond mining areas in the country, it would at the same time like to see Zimbabwe's government steps up to the plate as well.



"The WFDB, as the diamond trade's chief representative organization and watchdog, will continue to give its full support to the Kimberley Process," he said. "At the same time, the Zimbabwean authorities will have their work cut out to meet and uphold the criteria to enable the country to export its diamonds and benefit from the resources it so desperately needs."



Paz reiterated, however, that until a formal announcement is made, all members of the WFDB are to continue to follow the KP's and the WFDB's directives not to trade in rough diamonds from Marange, or any other rough diamonds that do not have KP certification.