/ 8 June 2001

ANGOLA STILL KEEN TO TALK TO DE BEERS

ANGOLAN Minister of Trade and Industry Joacquim Duarte da Costa David said on Thursday the government was confident of reaching an agreement with diamond giant De Beers over its operations in the country. De Beers halted prospecting and investments in Angola on May 24, saying it had reached an impasse with the government after more than a year of negotiations to revive mining and marketing contracts cancelled by Angola. ”I can guarantee you that De Beers and the Angolan government will continue talking and a solution will be found,” David told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s southern African meeting in Durban. – Reuters