RUSSIA GRANTS EXTENSION ON NEGOTIATING

UNCLAS MOSCOW 001500 SENSITIVE SIPDIS USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS, RIKER; OSTA/BEAN, HAMILTON, HAXTON; ONA/TING, SALLYARDS PASS FSIS DUTROW, HARRIES PASS APHIS BURLESON STATE FOR EUR/RUS STATE PASS USTR FOR CHATTIN, HAFNER, MURPHY BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ VIENNA PASS APHIS/MITCHELL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON WTO RS SUBJECT: RUSSIA GRANTS EXTENSION ON NEGOTIATING NEW PORK CERTIFICATE SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In late January 2009, the Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) expressed its concerns in both a DVC and in a letter that the veterinary certificate for the export of US pork to Russia does not adequately reflect Russian requirements. VPSS set a June 1, 2009, deadline for renegotiating a certificate for frozen pork and pork by-products exported from the USA. However in response to appeals for an extension by FSIS's Ronald Jones dated May 18, 2009 and by Agriculture Undersecretary James Miller dated June 3, 2009, VPSS advised via official letter that the deadline for the negotiation of a new veterinary certificate for pork has been moved to August 1, 2009. An informal embassy translation of the letter follows. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT: FEDERAL SERVICE FOR VETERINARY AND PHYTOSANITARY SURVEILLANCE Orlikov per., 1/11, 107139, Moscow 84, Russian Federation Phone: (7 499) 975-4347 Fax: (7 495) 607-5111 E-mail: info@svfk.mcx.ru http://www.fsvps.ru Moscow, June 05, 2009 No. FS-GK-2/5463 Assistant Administrator Office of International Affairs USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Dr. Ronald K. Jones Dear Dr. Jones, The Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) extends its regards to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA and informs you for the following. Keeping in mind the current situation and your proposal placed in your letter of May 18, 2009, VPSS considers it possible to extend deadline for the negotiation of a new veterinary certificate for frozen pork meat and by-products exported from the U.S. to the Russian Federation until August 1, 2009. At the same time we would like to draw your attention that if the negotiation of the document is not completed before the aforementioned date, VPSS will be obliged to consider a question about imposing restrictive measures on the import of pork and pork by-products from the U.S. to the Russian Federation. Dr. Jones, let me assure you of my highest esteem. Deputy Head G.K. Kovalev ¶3. Background. In a letter of January 30, 2009, the Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) expressed its concern that in a DVC held on January 27, 2009, the "American side did not assume the obligations to implement the Russian veterinary-sanitary requirements in shipments of pork to the Russian Federation." In the same letter, VPSS set a deadline of June 1, 2009 for a new version of the veterinary certificate for US pork to come into force. On February 10, 2009, VPSS sent its proposed draft of the new version of a veterinary certificate for frozen pork meat and by-products. ¶4. On May 18, 2009, USDA/FSIS sent a letter in response requesting both a meeting in person with VPSS and an extension of the June 1, 2009, deadline. Sergey Dankvert, Head of VPSS, complained during face-to-face meetings in Paris on May 28, 2009 with both US government and with US industry representatives that the US response was delayed for too long. He maintained that Russian pork producers selling to the domestic market face more stringent requirements than do US exporters of pork to Russia and that this is not justified. ¶5. Comment: This is a long-standing irritant for VPSS that goes back many years. Post recommends that USDA and USTR get together to discuss an appropriate strategy and response, well in advance of August 1. End Comment. BEYRLE