LITHUANIA: INTERESTED IN COMBATING AVIAN

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000946

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON PREL SOCI TBIO KSCA LH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA: INTERESTED IN COMBATING AVIAN
INFLUENZA, BUT STILL STUDYING U.S. PROPOSAL

REF: A. SECSTATE 164134


B. SECSTATE 153802


1. Summary. The Government of Lithuania is fully engaged on
the Avian Influenza issue. The Ministry of Health is in the
process of drafting the Government's national action plan,
and Health Minister Zilvinas Padaiga told the Ambassador that
the GOL would "be very supportive" of the USG's initiative.
The Ministry of Agriculture has animal testing and public
outreach plans in place, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
is considering the USG proposal. End Summary.


2. Ambassador raised the issue of combating Avian Influenza
during a meeting with the Health Minister on September 6.


3. We delivered our proposal for the International
Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) to Lina
Gubreviciute of the MFA's Americas Desk and to Kristina
Stakyte of the Ministry of Agriculture's Food and Veterinary
Department.


4. Gubreviciute told us that this issue was a new one for the
MFA and that they had yet to consider it carefully. Drawing
on reftel points, we stressed the danger that Avian Influenza
poses and the importance of international cooperation to
address the risks. We described the USG's IPAPI proposal and
asked for the GOL's commitment to join.


5. Stakyte told us that Avian Influenza has not appeared in
Lithuania, but that her Department is taking concrete steps
to prevent its spread. She said, among other efforts, the
Veterinary Department has drafted a contingency plan which
the European Commission has approved; established several
infectious disease control centers, including a veterinary
control post near a large migratory bird roost; put in place
a system for communicating with the public through mass
media; provided recommendations to poultry farmers on
avoiding contacts between wild birds and domestic poultry;
and plans to test several hundred birds for Avian Influenza
this year.

Comment
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6. The GOL is engaged on this issue. Since the Lithuanians
are still in the process of drafting inter-agency action
plans and the MFA has only recently taken up this issue, the
GOL cannot yet commit to our proposed partnership. All
indications so far, however, are favorable. We will report
any additional information we receive.
MULL