The leaders of the G7 countries, meeting at a summit in Hiroshima, will discuss sanctions against the Russian diamond trade, which is worth billions of dollars annually, a European Union official said Thursday.
“We think it is necessary to limit Russian exports in this sector,” the EU official said, adding that it is unlikely that the G7 will reach a final agreement at this summit, which will take place between Friday and Sunday. in the city of Japanese from Hiroshima.
Russia exported nearly $5 billion (€4.6 billion) worth of diamonds in 2021, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an international trade data portal created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The United Arab Emirates, India and Belgium, which is a member of the EU, are among the main importers.
The EU official stressed that India’s accession would be crucial to ensure the effect of any sanctions regime in this area.
“We want to start a dialogue [com os indianos]because the diamond industry is very important in India, not necessarily in terms of numbers, but in terms of politics and symbolism,” the source added.
India also maintains close military ties with Russia and has never condemned Moscow’s February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to the Hiroshima summit along with leaders from other major emerging economies.
The G7 countries [grupo formado pelo Reino Unido, França, Japão, Estados Unidos, Alemanha, Canadá e Itália — a UE também tem representação no grupo] – imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia last year, but were cautious in areas that could hurt European economies still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source: DN
