As a prelude to the first virtual World Rubber Summit, industry stakeholders held a press conference on Tuesday 1 June. Abidjan is home to this large-scale event from 8 to 11 June 2021." Facing the Future: Inclusiveness, Sustainability and Growth for the New Normal". This is the theme of the first virtual World Rubber Summit, initiated by the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG). As a prelude to this meeting, which will bring together the entire global value chain of natural rubber and synthetic rubber, the Ivorian Minister of Agriculture and Sustainable Development, Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani and the actors of the sector, namely Ali Touré of the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) and Eugène Krémian of the Association Natural Rubber Professionals of Côte d'Ivoire (APROMAC), hosted a press conference to situate on the objectives and issues.

According to the Ivorian Minister of Agriculture, this first virtual summit is a framework for exchanges between global experts in research, industry and development of natural rubber and synthetic rubber on the future of rubber in producing countries as well as in consumer countries.