H1N1 INFLUENZA: UKRAINE TO REVIEW ITS BAN ON PORK

UNCLAS KYIV 000777 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EUR/UMB, EB/TPP/BTA, EB/TPP/MTA (ARYAN) STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR JDOHERTY, PBURKHEAD USDOC FOR 4201/DOC/ITA/MAC/BISNIS USDOC FOR 4231/ITA/OEENIS/NISD/CLUCYK USDA FOR OSTA (CHAMILTON, CBEAN) GENEVA FOR USTR E.O.: 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD EAGR WTRO UP SUBJECT: H1N1 INFLUENZA: UKRAINE TO REVIEW ITS BAN ON PORK REF: A) STATE 44254 B) YARNELL-DESK EMAIL OF 4/28 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; NOT FOR INTERNET PUBLICATION. ¶1. (U) Ukraine on April 27 introduced a ban on all imports of live swine and pork products from the United States, Mexico, Canada, and New Zealand in response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak (ref B). The ban applies to products shipped after April 21. ¶2. (SBU) Agricultural Attache delivered ref A points regarding the H1N1 influenza and Ukraine's import ban on May 5 to Yuri Sadvary, Ukraine's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer. Econ Counselor delivered the same message on May 7 to Volodymyr Baluta, head of the Ministry of Economy's WTO and Trade Negotiations Department. Sadvary confirmed that the ban remains in place and said that the GOU would not review the measure until May 12. (Comment: Chief Veterinary Officer Petro Verbitskiy is apparently on vacation, and we suspect the Veterinary Service is delaying any decision until his return. End comment.) ¶3. (U) Both Sadvary and Baluta said they were aware of statements made by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) clarifying that pork is not a source of infection. (Note: We provided Baluta with copies of the May 5 Joint Statement by the WTO, OIE, and WHO and of other OIE guidance on H1N1. End note.) ¶4. (SBU) Baluta said that the Ministry of Economy did not see any clear grounds for the ban. He blamed the measure on the traditionalist "mentality" of Ukraine's veterinary and health officials, who thought it best to introduce an import ban until faced with incontrovertible proof that pork from the affected countries was safe. Baluta promised to circulate the U.S. position within the GOU and said the Ministry of Economy would take up the issue again following the May 9 holidays. (Note: The government returns to work on May 12. End note.) TAYLOR