ALROSA yesterday announced that it had decided to launch operations in the Republic of Zimbabwe, and had opened a subsidiary, ALROSA (Zimbabwe) in Harare in December 2018. The formal announcement regarding this new area of operations coincided with the visit of Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s to Moscow.

The subsidiary was set up following discussions and negotiations between the mining giant and leaders of the government in Zimbabwe. The company will implement projects for exploration and mining operations with a view to establish joint diamond and other ore mining enterprises, ALROSA said. A team of ALROSA’s experts, including geologists and mining engineers, will commence work in Zimbabwe during the coming month.

ALROSA CEO Sergey Ivanov said, "Today we see opportunities for a new stage of our partnership. We are ready to develop new joint projects for diamond exploration and extraction. We also seek to support Zimbabwe in the development of its diamond-mining industry in line with industry’s best practices. We are happy to share with our partners a wealth of experience in the field of mineral exploration and diamond mining, including the industry self-regulation and responsible business."