The Executive Secretary of the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI), His Excellency Alex Assanvo, paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP), to congratulate him on his appointment and to bring him up to date on the work of the organization. The visit was also aimed at fostering cooperation between the Ministry and the organization in the discharge of its mandate. The Executive Secretary further informed that the organization was working assiduously to put the producer at the centre of the cocoa value chain for better benefits.
The Minister welcomed the proposal for cooperation and underscored that cocoa plays a significant role in the economies of the two countries. He added that the initiative to establish the organization was prescient, taking into consideration that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire account for about 60% of the world’s cocoa beans, it is imperative to work together to have a fair market for the commodity. The initiative of the two countries to cooperate based on the commodity aligns with the Flagship Programme of the African Union in seeking to formulate an African Commodities Strategy. He then assured him of Ghana’s continuous commitment to work with the organization.
