AMBASSADOR AND UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR URGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000235 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES, EUR/CACEN, MED AND EUR/PGI DEPT PLEASE PASS USAID ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURAL ATTACHE USDA PASS CMP/ITP E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2016 TAGS: KFLU SOCI TBIO KSCA EAGR EAID CASC ASEC AJ SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR URGE AZERBAIJAN'S PRIME MINISTER TO ENGAGE ON AVIAN INFLUENZA REF: (A) BAKU 208 (B) BAKU 189 (C) BAKU 187 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Reno L. Harnish III, Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On February 14 Ambassador Harnish along with representatives from UN agencies and the USAID country director met with Prime Minister Artur Rasizadeh to urge a more active response by the GOAJ to the avian influenza outbreak in Azerbaijan. In a positive step forward, Rasizadeh gave his personal guarantee that the USAID avian influenza expert currently in Baku would have permission to travel throughout the entire country, visit relevant laboratory facilities and work directly with GOAJ experts. This freedom of movement and access to GOAJ facilities had been hampering the ability of international experts to provide advice to GOAJ officials and international donors on appropriate steps forward. It appears that the GOAJ is not able to coordinate offers of funding, assistance and equipment from the international community and the GOAJ is having difficulty coping. Today's frank discussions, followed up by continued U.S. and international community pressure, are the best sign that the GOAJ may be ready to get its act together and respond better to the avian influenza threat. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Harnish, UNDP representative Marco Borsotti, UNICEF country director Hanaa Singer, and the USAID country coordinator called on Prime Minister Artur Rasizadeh and Deputy Prime Minister Abbas Abbasov to urge them to take immediate actions to establish an inter-ministerial group to deal with the avian influenza outbreak and develop a public outreach plan to provide accurate and reliable information on avian influenza for the general population. Singer has been coordinating the international donor community's efforts to engage the GOAJ on its avian influenza response and strategy. Deputy PM Abbasov has been leading the GOAJ's response and has so far failed to actively organize the relevant government ministries and overall GOAJ strategy (REFTELS). ¶3. (C) Ambassador Harnish told PM Rasizadeh that the international donor community stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Azerbaijan reay to assist with funding, equipment and technical assistance. The UNDP head stressed the need for Azerbaijan to react quickly in order to avoid the transmission of avian influenza from wild fowl to domestic birds, including chicken. The UNICEF and USAID country directors briefed on the resources available to the GOAJ, both stressing the need for government officials to coordinate closely with the international donor community and experts. ¶4. (C) Rasizadeh listened intently to the frank comments of Ambassador Harnish and the group regarding the GOAJ,s lack of action and need to improve coordination to respond to the avian influenza outbreak. He also appeared frustrated at the GOAJ's lack of coordination and strategy. As he warmed to the discussion, Rasizadeh reiterated that the government was concerned about the outbreak and was monitoring the situation daily. He agreed on the need to avoid the transmission of avian influenza from wild fowl to domestic poultry. He added that the GOAJ had sent "mobile units" to various regions to monitor the situation. He also showed the Ambassador and the group a print-out list of all the regions in Azerbaijan where dead birds had been found. Rasizadeh noted that the GOAJ was working with the World Health Organization and the entire donor community to combat the spread of the disease. ¶5. (C) On the positive side, Prime Minister Rasizadeh gave his personal guarantee that the USAID avian influenza expert currently in Baku would have permission to travel throughout the entire country, visit relevant laboratory facilities and work directly with GOAJ experts. Rasizadeh even offered to provide a written guarantee if necessary. Prior to the meeting, the USAID country coordinator had complained that local GOAJ officials were refusing to allow the avian influenza expert to travel to different parts of Azerbaijan and refusing him access to local laboratories. (NOTE: As of February 15, GOAJ access and support for this U.S. avian influenza expert appeared to be still lacking.) BAKU 00000235 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) In addition, Deputy Prime Minister Abbasov indicated that after the meeting he planned to invite the USAID expert to a meeting with GOAJ experts to review the government's avian influenza action plan and solicit recommendations. As part of the GOAJ's avian influenza task force, Deputy Minister Abbasov helped develop the government's action plan and told the group that the action plan would be distributed later in the afternoon. The PM said that the GOAJ would welcome action plan ideas from other countries, such as Turkey, that Azerbaijan could draw upon for advice. The UNICEF country director later noted, however, that the Ministry of Health was not a part of the government's task force and may have had only a limited role in drafting the action plan. ¶7. (C) Rasizadeh also highlighted the need for the GOAJ to closely monitor the outbreak, destroy infected birds, protect the workers culling the infected birds, perform the necessary laboratory work on samples, fully isolate wild fowl from domestic birds and, with the Ministry of Health,s assistance, increase wider personal hygiene practices in the population. At the Ambassador's urging, Rasizadeh admitted that the GOAJ needed to develop a public awareness campaign to spread accurate information about avian influenza. At the end of the meeting, Rasizadeh said that the international donor community should take the lead on the public awareness campaign, noting that Azerbaijani citizens do not trust or believe the government. As Rasizadeh said this, the Deputy Minister Abbasov appeared concerned and attempted to interrupt the Prime Minister but was quickly quieted. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: Based on the Prime Minister's comments, it is clear that two weeks into the avian influenza outbreak the GOAJ has not yet developed a government-wide plan to respond to it. The GOAJ appears to be trying to formulate and implement a clear plan, but without much success. The PM commented that the GOAJ had sent instructions to local government authorities (ExComs) to take action regarding avian influenza. The PM then complained about his lack of control over local government authorities, noting that the attitude and behavior of some ExComs indicated they were not taking the avian influenza outbreak seriously. The PM indicated that GOAJ still had no idea what equipment it had and what equipment it needed. The GOAJ appears to be overwhelmed by the international donor community's offers of assistance and equipment and is therefore processing the requests slowly and haphazardly. Today's frank discussions, followed up by continued U.S. and international community pressure, are the best sign that the GOAJ is ready to get its act together and respond better to the avian influenza threat. END COMMENT. HARNISH