Complete Ban On EU Purchases Of Russian Diamonds Useless - Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo

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Complete Ban on EU Purchases of Russian Diamonds Useless - Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo

Belgium does not see the point of prohibiting diamond purchases from Russia at the EU level, since diamonds still get into European stores via other ways, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Friday

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2023) Belgium does not see the point of prohibiting diamond purchases from Russia at the EU level, since diamonds still get into European stores via other ways, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Friday.

"The (supply) volume of Russian diamonds to Belgium has decreased by 80% since the beginning of the war.

We note that the volume of deliveries to Antwerp has decreased, but Russian exports as a whole have not decreased. At the same time, we observe that some of these diamonds are in Western markets and get there via other ways. Efforts should be undertaken at a broader level than at the EU level," de Croo said at a press conference in Brussels.

According to the prime minister, the states should agree on a system for tracking the origin of diamonds in order to make the sanctions really effective.

"Only such a system can impact Russia's diamond exports," the politician said.