Botswana Minister of Energy, Minerals & Water Resources, Ponatshego Kedikilwe recently visited the Antwerp World Diamond Centre and interacted with the newly elected AWDC Board of Directors and members of the Antwerp diamond community. The two sides decided to build closer relations through complementary activities.

The Botswana officials also visited the AWDC Diamond Office, the ‘one-stop shop’ import/export clearing office of diamonds which is operated together with the Belgian Federal Public Service of Economy and the Belgian Federal Public Service of Finance.

Botswana is the biggest rough diamond producer in the world in value terms, with around $2 billion in exports annually, although that figure fell last year due to reduced output in light of a fall in global demand. Most of Botswana's rough diamonds are exported to the European Union, via De Beers' Diamond Trading Company.