Vladimir Rybkin, Head of Gohran of the Russian Federation, answered the questions put by the correspondent of Rough&Polished.

Namibia’s leading diamond producer, Namdeb revealed recently that its output for 2009 was expected to be less than half that of last year. The company said it was also experiencing lower quality ore at its land operations and would not raise production until its brownfield expansion projects materialised. Rough & Polished’s African Bureau Editor Veronica Novoselova had an interview with Namibia’s Diamond Commissioner, Kennedy Hamutenya who spoke widely on the operations of Namdeb.

The Institute for Regional Economy of the North is currently the only scientific entity in Russia called to develop scientific grounds for economic policy, development of market economy, social and economic policy and rational accommodation of productive forces and branches of the national economy in the North taking the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) as an example. Mikhail Nikolayev, Doctor of Economics and First Deputy Director of the Institute, in his interview to Rough&Polished told about the activities of this scientific body.

Dror Galili is Vice President, Business Development of the big-league global diamond group, Almod Diamonds, which owns the largest Caribbean retail chain, DI Diamonds International. He is also the Regional Director of its subsidiary, Almod Namibia. Dror Galili answered the questions posed by Veronica Novoselova, Rough&Polished African Bureau editor.

The first-ever Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair held from February 7 to 9 brought together more than 40 stands of invited companies. Artur Beller, President of the Antwerp Diamond Bourse, told about its results and outlooks as well as commented the trends on the market of rough and polished diamonds in his interview to the Rough&Polished Editor-in-Chief and Editor of the agency's European Bureau.