VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #1665/01 1760905
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250905Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 5498
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3965
INFO RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 4762
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5337

UNCLAS MOSCOW 001665 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS; ONA/SALLYARDS, 
- OSTA/HAMILTON, BEAN 
PASS FSIS/JONES, DUTROW 
STATE FOR EUR/RUS 
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY, CHATTIN, HAFNER 
VIENNA FOR APHIS 
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ 
GENEVA FOR USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN AG MINISTER SUPPORTS ACTION ON A/H1N1 
TRADE RESTRICTIONS 
 
REF: A) Moscow 001556  B) Moscow 001206  C) Moscow 001187 
D) Moscow 001150 
 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  Minister of Agriculture Elena Skrynnik 
met with Ambassador Beyrle on June 22, 2009.  In a short 
and cordial exchange, Skrynnik instructed Federal 
Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) 
leaders present to hold a DVC with USDA technical experts 
this week in an effort to answer VPSS's remaining questions 
and towards the eventual lifting of Russia's trade 
restrictions on US meat related to the A/H1N1 virus 
outbreak.  She also outlined her priorities for Russian 
agriculture for the near future.  Minister Skrynnik was 
accompanied by both VPSS Head Sergey Dankvert and by his 
deputy, Russia's Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Nikolai 
Vlasov.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) In her first meeting with Ambassador Beyrle since 
taking her position in March 2009, Minister Skrynnik agreed 
that our communications and US relations with Russia in 
agriculture have improved in recent months.  She was very 
glad to have met Secretary Vilsack during the G8 summit in 
Italy in April, and she was pleased with the US delegation 
at the recent World Grain Forum in St. Petersburg (Ref A). 
 
¶3. (U) Minister Skrynnik explained that her goals were to 
improve the efficiency of agricultural producers, 
particularly for meat, milk, and wheat.  She wants to 
increase the quality of Russian foods and try to decrease 
the costs of agricultural products.  She noted that Russia 
is setting up a United Grain Company, which is a 
consolidation of state-owned assets in the grain sector, 
but she said that it will take several years before they 
can implement this objective.  She said that Americans need 
not worry and that the United Grain Company will not be a 
competitor with the United States in the near term. 
 
¶4. (U) The Ambassador raised the issue of meat trade 
problems that are always taking center stage.  During this 
second half of the meeting which dealt with meat trade 
problems, Sergey Dankvert spoke up often and also regularly 
advised the Minister.  Mr. Dankvert noted that despite all 
of the problems, Russia bought more meat from the USA in 
2008 than in the past. The Ambassador countered by saying 
that when our Presidents met in April, they agreed that the 
level of trade between our two countries is really quite 
low considering the size of our two economies and that 
agricultural products including meat could help to fill the 
gap.  Mr. Dankvert initiated and the Minister repeated a 
request that USDA appoint one responsible veterinarian who 
could be contacted by CVO Vlasov on a regular basis. 
 
¶5. (U) The Ambassador then referred to the letter from USDA 
veterinarians concerning A/H1N1 of June 16, 2009 which he 
presented to the Deputy Minister on June 17, 2009.  He 
stated the there is no basis for Russia's restrictions on 
US meat and urged the Minister to acknowledge the 
scientific fact that the virus cannot be transmitted 
through meat and to lift the restrictions.  Minister 
Skrynnik replied by proposing a digital video conference 
(DVC) between appropriate technical specialists this week 
in order to raise questions and get answers from the 
American scientists.  She stated that if sufficient 
information is forthcoming, we can positively resolve this 
matter prior to the Presidential summit in Moscow (July 6- 
7).  We agreed to schedule this DVC as soon as possible and 
to try to resolve this issue promptly. 
 
¶6. (U) Mr. Dankvert then stated that as a result of the DVC 
they could likely resume trade in poultry from the 
restricted two states (IL and WI), but there may still be a 
few pending issues on pork for 2 - 3 states.  Everyone 
agreed that it is necessary to make the right decisions 
based on objective, scientific information, and that 
Russian consumers should be properly protected and 
informed. 
 
¶7. (U) The Ambassador then raised the matter of the 
reinstatement of US meat plants which Russia has removed 
 
from the eligible lists of export facilities.  He proposed 
re-listing these facilities and in the future implementing 
a 90-day grace period rather than automatic de-listing when 
VPSS finds a violation.  This would give US companies and 
USDA a chance to analyze the information and report back 
the results before any restrictions are implemented.  Mr. 
Dankvert replied he had wanted to discuss this in Paris in 
May 2009 but unfortunately was unable to meet with some US 
counterparts, who were attending another meeting.  He said 
if he did this for the USA then other countries would want 
the same treatment and that this might be a problem.  But 
he said we can continue our discussion on this matter. 
 
¶8.  (U) Comment:  Despite the fact that Minister Skrynnik 
did not show up for the meeting originally scheduled for 
June 17, she approached the session with a positive 
attitude.  It was she who brought up the concept of 
resolving the A/H1N1 trade restrictions in the coming two 
weeks before the Obama-Medvedev summit.  The DVC is now 
scheduled for June 29.  We have informed USDA technical 
experts of VPSS's questions and encouraged them to come 
prepared to answer the Russian's questions, in order to 
make the most of this opportunity.  It will take not only 
technical but also political progress to resolve the A/H1N1 
trade restrictions, but Minister Skrynnik has at least 
expressed her political support for a resolution and 
directed her technical experts to make time to promptly 
work on this matter. 
 
BEYRLE