Russian Ambassador to Angola on ALROSA’s participation in the country’s diamond mining: “Our work there will go on as usual”

Vladimir Tararov, Russian Ambassador to Angola said in a recent interview with RIA Novosti that despite the sanctions, ALROSA will continue to take part in mining diamonds in this country. “Our work there will go on as usual,” he said talking about the situation in the diamond mining industry in Angola.
The ambassador believes that Western sanctions against ALROSA will not affect its work in Angola in any way. He noted that the industry’s leaders in Angola intend to "look for various options and ways out in order to continue investments, continue financing and resolve the issue with diamond sales." “To some extent, the sanctions have even strengthened relations between our companies that operate in the diamond industry,” added Vladimir Tararov.
“The local side is interested in the continuation of this work,” he further stated emphasizing that an industrial boom is currently starting in Angola, and it would not be entirely correct to boil everything down to the problem of sanctions, and even more so to the activities of ALROSA.
Referring to the history of Russian-Angolan relations, Vladimir Tararov said: “It was us in this country that began to develop the diamond industry.” No one wanted to invest their money in a devastated country after a brutal civil war, he said. “But the first one who dared was our company, which came to Angola, because even such giants as De Beers refused saying they were not interested. We took this step because we had special relations with this country. They remember it, know it and appreciate it, and this is now reflected in our relations,” the Russian ambassador concluded.