Moscow – The Russian sanitary service might be forced to limit agricultural goods imports from Ukraine.
The head of Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service on Customers’ Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance), the chief sanitary doctor of the Russian Federation, Gennady Onischenko told Interfax on Sunday that the authority could take this step due to the negative consequences entailed by a transfer of food quality control functions to the veterinary service in Ukraine.
"A serious problem has appeared. According to official documents available to the public, in 2012 the veterinary service rather than doctors will deal with the prevention of cholera among the people in Ukraine. This means that from May we will significantly toughen supervision on the border with Ukraine," said Onischenko.
According to him, an outbreak of cholera was fixed in Donetsk region in Ukraine in 2011. However, Russia due to coordinated efforts with Ukrainian sanitary authorities did not close the border for people and goods. "If, God forbid, the situation is complicated in 2012, we will be forced to take extreme measures," said Onischenko.
