Hilde Hardeman Speaks on Kimberley Process at MGIMO

Hilde Hardeman Speaks on Kimberley Process at MGIMO

18 May 2018

May 18th, MGIMO received the Head of the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, also the chairperson of the Kimberley Process, Hilde Hardeman. The guest was accompanied by the Advisor to the Kimberley Process, Ambassador Philippe Beke.

This was not Hilde Hardeman’s first visit to MGIMO, as she was in the 1990’s the coordinator of a myriad of EU programs, including some related to academic collaboration between universities. Her current visit to Moscow takes place in the framework of the Kimberley Process and the talks it is conducting with ALROSA the largest diamond mining company in the world, represented by the Head of the company’s International Cooperation Department Piotr Karakchiev.

The guests first had an interview with MGIMO’s Vice-Rector for General Affairs Artem Malgin, which was attended by faculty members and representatives of the European Union. Later, Hilde Hardeman gave a talk to MGIMO students about the Kimberley Process and its role in regulating the international trade in diamonds, explaining the main stages and achievements of the process, which fights «conflict» diamonds.

The Kimberley Process unites administrations, civil societies, and industry in reducing the flow of conflict diamonds — ‘rough diamonds used to finance wars against governments’ - around the world. The Kimberley Process is a permanent interstate conference and its chairperson is elected by consensus for one year.

— See the MGIMO web-site for russian version