Alrosa, Endiama Aim to Develop Angola Industry

RAPAPORT... Alrosa has signed an agreement withAngola's state-run diamond-mining company to develop joint projects and shareinformation. Alrosa and Endiama have committed to work together onresearch and exploration projects in Angola. The Russia-based miner will alsoprovide training for Angolan specialists at its facilities. "For both Russia and Angola, the diamond industry is animportant part of national life," Alrosa CEO Sergey Ivanov said last week. "Thisis [about] jobs for people and dozens of social projects implemented for them. Weare pleased to seal our long-term cooperation with an official documentproclaiming the joint desire to develop our common initiatives."  Under the memorandum of understanding - which was signed by Ivanov and Jos?(C) GangaJunior, chairman of Endiama's administrative council - the parties will sharetechnology and knowledge on mining and the diamond industry, as well ascooperate on diamond sales. The companies will partner to create industry-wideinitiatives aimed at promoting diamond products in key markets, and will workon the development of global industry self-regulation mechanisms, Alrosa added. Alrosa and Endiama are cofounders of Catoca, Angola's largestdiamond mine and the fourth-largest in the world. The companies have beenconducting exploration in the country as part of a joint venture since 2014.Image: Rough-diamond sorting at Alrosa. (Alrosa)