*  *  *  Governor Louekoski, Chairman Ignatiev, distinguished guests, fellow central bankers, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, “Dobry Vietsher, ia otshen rad vstreche s Vami v etot vecher v Khelsinki” - Good evening, I am very happy to see you all here in Helsinki. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this first Joint Eurosystem - Bank of Russia Seminar.
Today, industrialised countries account for only around 1/3 of global production of and demand for pork, and their share is falling. In the longer term, population growth and rapidly rising incomes, and thus meat consumption per capita, in the low- and middle-income countries will buoy up pork prices, although production is also increasing in these countries.