Antwerp, June 2, 2009 - Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), the official representative of the Antwerp diamond sector, welcomed Belgian vice-prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs Karel De Gucht on a working visit today.

Minister De Gucht visited the HRD Antwerp diamond lab and Diamond Office, and witnessed the control mechanisms for diamond export and import. After a visit to the Antwerp diamond bourses, he held a speech in the Diamantclub Antwerpen and had lunch with a delegation of Ambassadors of major diamond producing and exporting countries, including Canada, Australia, Israel, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Russia, Lesotho, Indonesia, Thailand, UAE,
and the US.

In his statement, Minister De Gucht emphasized that he has been following the diamond sector for over 10 years. According to him, the Antwerp diamond sector has not weakened by any means in the past few years. Instead, it has become even more structured and transparent than before. He underscored the importance of the diamond trade and confirmed the unconditional support of the Belgian government and Foreign Affairs in particular, to help Antwerp maintain its leading position as major diamond trading centre.

“Antwerp is today by far the largest diamond trading centre. This success story is the result of its location at the centre of the European Union, of an unmatched political and economical stability, of the innovative dynamism of its traders and bankers and of the active support of the Belgian government”, Minister De Gucht stated.