DEMARCHE DELIVERED: SUMMARY REPORT OF THE FIRST

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001900 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KSCA SENV ECON PREL AM EARG WHO FAO SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: SUMMARY REPORT OF THE FIRST SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING (SOM) OF THE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP ON AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA REF: STATE 195603 Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. (SBU) On October 24, DCM met with Deputy Minister of Agriculture Levon Rukhkuan, Chief Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture Anushavan Aghajanyan, Head of the Medical Unit of the Ministry of Health Vahan Poghosyan and Ministry of Health Official Vladimir Davidyants to discuss avian flu preparedness in Armenia and pass the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) Report (reftel). On October 25, we passed the SOM Report to MFA Americas Desk Officer Hripsime Arzrumtsyan. The Ministries of Health and Agriculture both appear ill prepared to respond to an avian flu outbreak in Armenia. The Ministry of Agriculture is conducting limited surveillance and has yet to find any evidence of avian flu among local bird populations. We are encouraging the GOAM to increase surveillance and develop an action plan for testing and containment. EVANS