The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) is scheduled to hold a special 2009 WFDB Asia Summit Meeting on June 29. Hosted by the Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, the goal of the regional meeting is to get Asian diamond bourses more active in WFDB activities while determining what assistance diamond bourses in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Singapore, Shanghai and Tokyo can offer fellow WFDB members worldwide.

WFDB President Avi Paz said that he will listen carefully to reports from the bourses and their markets in order to understand how the WFDB can play a more significant role in advancing their interests.
 
“I hope to discuss with my colleagues how the WFDB can serve its Asian members better and more effectively, how the WFDB can assist its members to raise their profile and vice-versa, and what tools the WFDB can offer to advance the standing and competitive position of bourse members in their markets,” says Paz. “Of course, we will bring our colleagues up to date as to what tools the WFDB is developing to advance the business interests of bourse members and the diamond exchanges to which they belong, and what the WFDB can do to advance diamond sales in general.” 
 
“I am looking forward to this event which will, so I hope, culminate in Asia bourses playing a much more visible and significant role in our organization’s undertakings,” he added. 

 
The summit meeting will be attended by Paz, Ernest Blom, WFDB vice president and honorary president; Boonyong Assarasakorn, president of the Bangkok Diamond & Precious Stones Exchange; Michio Iwasaki, president of the Tokyo Diamond Exchange; Lawrence Ma, president of the Hong Kong Diamond Bourse; Lin Qiang, president of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange; Anoop Mehta, president of the Bharat Diamond Bourse; and Suresh Hathiramani, vice-president of the Diamond Exchange of Singapore.

JCK