Armenia reduces cut diamond output 17% in H1

Armenia reduces cut diamond output 17% in H1 Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenia reduced cut and polished diamond output
in value 17% year-on-year to 63.1 billion dram in the first half of
2004, said Karen Chshmaritian, the country’s trade and economic
development minister. Output in carats grew, though, on stronger world market demand for
small stones, Chshmaritian said. Armenia imported 70,000 carats of uncut diamonds from Russia under a
government-to-government agreement in the half. Armenia may import up
to 400,000 carats of uncut diamonds under the deal this year as a
whole.