VZCZCXRO9736
OO RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHKV #0777 1281551
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 081551Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KYIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7767
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0178
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE

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