Press release on the conclusion of the 2010 International Cocoa Agreement
The 2010 International Cocoa Agreement was signed in the UN Headquarter on the 1st of September 2014. The authorized representative on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation was Vladimir Tkachenko, Director of the Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
The 2010 International Cocoa Agreement, which came into force in October 2012, after the 2001 International Cocoa Agreement is the 7th agreement since the establishment of the International Cocoa Organization.
The agreement contributes to cooperation strengthening among the exporting and importing member countries as well as to stabilization and development of the global cocoa market. The document provides for cocoa producers support and includes the set of measures leading to the increase of their revenues. Implementation of the agreement will ensure the socially-responsible trade of higher quality cocoa in correspondence with environmental standards.
Russia is a major cocoa consumer – total output of chocolate confectionery rose by 12% in 2013. The import of cocoa and the products of its processing amounted to 188000 tons in 2013. In the first quarter 2014 the purchase amount of cocoa bins was 9.2% higher than in the similar period of the prior year along with the increase in prices by 21.0%. It should here to be remarked that in the first quarter 2014 as compare with the same period of 2013 the import of cocoa paste decreased by 12.9%, cacao butter by 7.6% and the import of cacao powder increased by 16.7%.
