The Chairman of the Kimberley process Abbet Chikane has informed the participants of the process that the Committee on the participation questions has been formed. According to the deputy head of the GOKHRAN of Russia Andrey Kutepov, the members of the Committee are six countries (the South Africa, Canada, Angola, Israel, Russia and the USA), European Council, World Diamond Council and a nongovernmental organization.

The decision of the Committee creation was made in April at the conference in Johannesburg. Now 70 countries have joined the process and the mission of the Committee is to decide what which of them have the right to be the participant of the Kimberley process. These are the countries that have created national system of diamonds import and export control and have introduced diamonds certificates.

The head of Diamond Chamber of Russia Sergey Ulin express the opinion that the number of the Kimberley process participants may be reduced at least by 50%. For example, only 26 countries (out of 70) have diamonds certificates system.

Russia has introduced diamonds certificate system, but is not able to present statistical data concerning diamonds turnover, as it is still the matter of the State secret. The situation is expected to have changed by the beginning of 2004.