Botswana Minister of Energy, Minerals & Water Resources, Ponatshego Kedikilwe paid a visit to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), recently, taking forward the mutual willingness to create closer relations through comprehensive cooperation between Antwerp and the emerging Botswana diamond centre in the capital city of Gaborone. Botswana churns around $2 billion worth of rough diamond exports annually, although that figure fell last year due to reduced output in light of a fall in global demand.

The Minister visited and met with the newly elected AWDC Board of Directors and members of the Antwerp diamond community. Also, Botswana officials 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.