Mr. Néstor Osorio visited Japan during the week of 10 March 2008

10 March 2008

The Executive Director, Mr. Néstor Osorio, visited Japan during the week of 10 March 2008. During his mission, he had meetings with high-level government officials, including Mr Sumio Kusaka, Deputy Director-General, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr Kotsuhiro Machida, Director General of the Food Policy Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to discuss matters relating to the 2007 Agreement, in particular the transition from the 2001 Agreement to the new Agreement. He also addressed special meetings of the All Japan Coffee Association and the Speciality Coffee Association of Japan, and made a presentation entitled “The current commodity situation and overview of the coffee market” to the Institute of Agricultural Policy at the invitation of the Ministry of Agriculture. While in Tokyo, Mr. Osorio met the Chairman of the Tokyo Grain Exchange, Mr Yoshiaki Watanabe, and attended the opening ceremony of Foodex Japan 2008, the 33rd International Food and Beverage Exhibition, where he visited delegates at the Brazilian and Colombian coffee exhibition stands. Finally, he was the guest speaker at a lunch for Latin American Ambassadors hosted by the Colombian Ambassador, and visited the Coffee Museum in Kobe and the coffee roasting plant of UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. Ltd. at the invitation of Mr Tatsushi Ueshima.