30 July 2016
Tehran - An Iranian businessman said here on Saturday that for the first time an Iranian company has inked an agreement with an African country for processing of precious and semi-precious stones.

Talking to IRNA, a member of Iranian economic delegation that accompanied Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during his African tour said the agreement has been inked between the Iranian Zarine Fanavarn Company and a leading gold, diamond and stone company in Guinea Conakry. 

Managing Director of Zarine Fanavarn Company Hooman Bahmani Zangeneh said the processed stones would be utilized in handicrafts or exported to other countries. 

African countries enjoy the highest resources of gold, jewels, precious stones and minerals which they export to other countries, he said.

As per the agreement, for the first time in forty years, Iran would bring in diamonds, precious and semi-precious stones for processing, he said. 

He reiterated that the move would crease a vast amount of job opportunities in the country. 

'After processing, the value-added of stones would increase and they would be used in various industries including gold and jewelry handicrafts,' he said. 

Bahmani Zangeneh concluded that the processed stones could also be exported to US, the Persian Gulf littoral states, Latin American, and African countries. 

Zarif returned to Tehran on Friday morning after a six-day tour of West Africa, which took him to Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, and Mali. 

He was accompanied by a top-ranking economic delegation.

© IRNA 2016