%% The Moscow Diamond Bourse (MDB), India's Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), and Navigator, a Russian-language jewellery trade magazine organised the first Indo-Russian Jewellery Summit Mumbai on June 20. The aim of the event was to increase mutual cooperation between the two countries' diamond and jewellery industries in both countries. %% Speaking at the opening ceremony of the summit, GJEPC Chairman Rajiv Jain welcomed the Russian guests and guest of honor, Alexey Novikov, Russia's Consul General in Mumbai. Mr. Jain identified the event's primary goal as being to serve as a networking platform for Russian buyers and members of the Indian gem and jewellery manufacturing and trading community and proposed that it become an annual event. %%

%% MDB President Alex Popov said: "I hope this event will indeed become an annual event where Indian and Russian industry members can get to know each other, learn about each others' capabilities and capacities. I strongly believe that Russian retailers, manufacturers and producers can do good business in India, while Indian producers and traders will find markets for their products in Russia." %% Oksana Senatorova, publisher of the Navigator for Jewellery trade magazine offered the audience a comprehensive report on the Russian gem and jewellery market. %% The four-day summit, which closed on June 23, included individual workshops, visits to diamond and jewellery factories, and round-table discussions between the participants, moderated by Prasad Kapre, co-chairman of FICCI Jewellery Section. %%