The European Union sanctions the Russian diamond giant Alrosa and its director and places them on its blacklist. This announcement was made by the European Council on Wednesday January 3, less than a week after the entry into force of the ban on the import of Russian diamonds into the territory of the European Union.
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With our correspondent in Brussels, Laura Broulard
These new sanctions directly target Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond producer by volume, a giant partly owned by the Russian state and which represents a significant source of income for the Kremlin, specifies the European Council.
The company and its CEO, Pavel Alekseevich Marinychev, are now subject to an asset freeze and a travel ban in the European Union. Brussels is therefore continuing its offensive against Russian diamonds, accused of financing the war in Ukraine.
Last month, the 27 member states already agreed on a ban on the import of these stones into the European Union as part of the 12 sanctions packages against Russia.
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Belgium, long reluctant in order to protect the industry of Antwerp, known as the diamond capital of the world, finally gave its agreement while offering tracking technologies to prevent the stones from fleeing to less careful places.
The ban on synthetic and natural diamonds from Russia came into force on January 1. For Russian diamonds cut in other countries, you will have to wait until next September.
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