VZCZCXYZ0019
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #3737 3590624
ZNR UUUUU ZZH(CCY 0011D4A3 MSI1380)
P 240624Z DEC 08 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 5421
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1346
INFO RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 4701
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5253

UNCLAS MOSCOW 003737 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (ADD SUBJECT) 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS; ONA/SALLYARDS, MURPHY 
- OSTA/HAMILTON, BEAN 
PASS FSIS/JONES, DUTROW 
STATE FOR EUR/RUS STATE PASS USTR FOR CHATTIN, FEILD 
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ 
VIENNA PASS APHIS/TANAKA 
GENEVA FOR USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON WTO RS
SUBJECT: VPSS TO CLARIFY REQUIREMENTS FOR RELISTING PORK AND POULTRY 
PLANTS 
 
REF A) MOSCOW 3735 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: US Embassy officials met with 
the Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary 
Surveillance Service (VPSS) to seek clarity on 
the Russian response to a work plan for relisting 
U.S. pork and poultry plants as proposed by USTR 
and USDA during meetings in Moscow on December 17 
and 18 (septel).  While VPSS did not reject or 
accept the U.S. work plan, they committed to 
clarifing the Russian position for relisting plants 
during a December 29 DCV. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On December 23, 2008, the Acting 
Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs and 
Economic Counselor met with the Head of VPSS 
Sergey Dankvert, to discuss the U.S. work plan 
which was proposed during December 17th and 18th 
meetings related to implementation of the U.S. 
Russian bilateral Agreement on Plant Inspection 
signed on November 19, 2006 in Hanoi(septel).  Dankvert 
confirmed that he had received the U.S. proposal 
and it was clear.  He agreed that they could meet 
per the work plan and suggested only minor 
adjustments to the proposed dates.  He promised that 
his services would supply the requested 
information on the delisting (ref A) by the date 
proposed in the plan. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Embassy officers stressed that it was 
the U.S. position that the work plan represented 
a way forward so that FSIS would regain the 
authority to relist plants per the 2006 
agreement.  However, Dankvert responded that this 
was not the Russian position and that the steps 
for relisting plants would be clarified in a DVC 
on December 29.    He asserted that Russia had 
lost confidence in USDA certification and that 
trust needed to be rebuilt.  He stated that the 
U.S. would need to provide all the documents 
related to the decisions to certify plants as 
eligible to ship to Russia (not just the 38 
delisted plants).  Dankvert asked that a second 
inspection be conducted the week or January 20th 
in which Russian inspectors would visit the 
farms, the facilities in question, and additional 
plants which the U.S. chooses.   He also noted 
that 10 of the 38 plants had been delisted for a 
second time. Note.  While Dankvert refrained from 
expanding on that comment, per the 2006 
agreement if a plant is delisted twice, it may 
only be relisted after a joint inspection. End 
Note. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Embassy officers responded that we have 
agreed procedures on how plants are to be 
relisted.  The U.S. was hopeful that we could 
clear up misunderstandings through the proposed 
plan and requested a positive response to the 
work plan by December 29. 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: It is clear that VPSS is 
refusing to honor the side letter agreement on 
plant inspections signed as part of the U.S.- 
Russia WTO market access agreement.  VPSS stated 
clearly in its December 22, 2008 letter (ref A), 
that relisting would only take place after 
further joint inspections and farm visits. 
Furthermore, Post cautions that VPPS may view the 
work plan as a series of meetings rather than 
concrete measures to reinstate USDA's ability to 
relist facilities. End Comment 
 
BEYRLE