The European Union plans to ban the trade in Russian diamonds as part of its 12th package of sanctions. However, these plans do not include Belarus, which is home to one of the largest diamond processing companies. Excluding Belarus from these sanctions means allowing more circumvention.
The Belarusian democratic opposition has said that if Belarus is not sanctioned either, there is a risk of limited success. In addition, Alexander Lukashenko’s regime will increase its revenues.
The large Kristall diamond processing plant in Gomel, the second largest city in Belarus, is the leading manufacturer of jewellery and diamond products. The state-owned company is a valuable source of revenue for the regime.
The factory was founded in the Soviet Union in 1972. Kristall was one of seven factories of the same name. After the collapse of the USSR, only two remained open, one in Gomel and the other in Russia. Kristall buys most of its raw materials in Russia.
On 17 November, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the factory, praised its production and promised that diamond processing and jewellery production in Belarus would be better than anywhere else.
Pavel Latushka, deputy head of Belarus’ United Transitional Cabinet and head of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), warned that “imposing sanctions only against Russia, while bypassing the Lukashenko regime, will lead to ineffective sanctions that can be easily circumvented”.
In a statement, Mr Latushka said: “Both regimes have anticipated the potential impact of forthcoming sanctions on Russian diamonds. However, if sanctions are not imposed on the Lukashenko regime in a similar way to those imposed on Russian diamonds, and if the regimes’ plans come to fruition – much of which depends on our partners in the EU and the US – Lukashenko and his wealthy family in Belarus will gain additional sources of illicit profit through the resale of ‘blood diamonds‘.
“Any sanctions, as well as any action taken against aggressive Russia, must be introduced and monitored in a harmonised, synchronised and simultaneous manner against the Lukashenko regime. Only such coordinated and calibrated actions will contribute to the restoration of peace, the establishment of law and order, and the downfall of the two regimes that are inflicting immense suffering and hardship on millions of people,” the Deputy Head of the Transitional Unity Cabinet added.
