The Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE), the region’s only diamond and precious stones trading platform, has announced Herman Van Rompuy, former EU President, as the opening speaker for the Dubai Diamond Conference 2015.

The conference will take place from April 21 to 22 at the iconic Almas Tower, home to the DDE.

Rompuy was elected as the first full-time EU President in November 2009. In 2012, he was re-elected for a second term starting on June 1, 2012 and running until November 30, 2014. At the time of his first election, Rompuy was Prime Minister of Belgium.

Peter Meeus, Chairman, DDE, said: “We are honoured to welcome Herman Van Rompuy, the former EU President and Prime Minister of Belgium as keynote speaker at the Dubai Diamond Conference 2015. There are currently strong commodities trading relations in place between Europe and the Middle East, but we can always do more to seek out new opportunities and we look forward hearing Rompuy’s view on what the future holds for the diamond trade in particular.”

The Dubai Diamond Conference will provide an opportunity to build relationships between companies and governments in producing and consuming countries, further highlighting the pivotal role that Dubai plays in the global diamond trade for diamonds.

The conference programme will enable discussions and debate around the themes of financing, synthetics, corporate governance and ethics in the diamond trade with a focus on stimulating innovation and growth in the African, Middle Eastern and Asian diamond industry. – TradeArabia News Service