Russia prepares to join new International Cocoa Agreement

Russia is preparing to accede to the new International Cocoa Agreement adopted at a conference hosted at the United Nations in Geneva, signalling support for enhanced global governance of the cocoa industry and sustainable trade principles, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.

The announcement was made following the International Cocoa Conference, which brought together more than 30 delegations from member states of the International Cocoa Organisation. The central outcome of the meeting was the completion of negotiations on the 2026 International Cocoa Agreement and the launch of the formal signing process.

According to Nikita Kondratiev, Director of the Department for Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the previous agreement had been in force since 2010 and required modernisation to reflect current market realities.

Kondratiev noted that the updated document strengthens the link between economic, environmental and social sustainability in the cocoa sector. The agreement is open-ended, with a formal review mechanism scheduled every five years.

Russian authorities indicated that a comprehensive set of domestic procedures is now being prepared to facilitate the country’s accession to the new framework.