Ahmedabad, Aug 21 In a bid to get rough diamonds directly from Russia, a Surat trade body has appealed to that country to route their supply directly to India instead of through Antwerp in Belgium.

Surat Diamond Association (SDA) President Rohit Mehta met Russian Consul General Alexander V Mantysky yesterday in Mumbai and discussed various measures to be taken for the development of diamond industry in the Gujarat city, an association statement said here today.

During the talks, Mehta apprised the Consul General of the import procedure of rough diamonds from the mines in Russia, in which a tendering process is followed, it said.

In the present set up, the rough diamonds are first sent to Antwerp and then delivered to polishing units in Surat after the tendering, it further said.

Mehta suggested to the Consul General to evolve a system wherein rough diamonds can directly be sent to Surat for polishing, statement said.

The Russian Consul General has asked the SDA to send suggestions on simplification of tendering procedure for rough diamonds, it said.