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[January 11, 2006]

Armenia takes measures to keep bird flu out

(Interfax News Agency Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)YEREVAN. Jan 9 (Interfax) - Armenian President Robert Kocharian, at a meeting on Monday with senior government members, gave "strict instructions to carry through all possible preventive measures" to stop bird flu crossing the border into Armenia, said the head of the state veterinary inspectorate, Grigory Bagiyan.


Among other things, Kocharian gave instructions "to get ready for the forthcoming spring bird migration, including from neighboring Turkey, where a bird flu virus has already been recorded," Bagiyan told a news conference.

"Today a stable situation has taken shape in [Armenia] as
regards
bird flu. No bird flu virus has been recorded on the territory
of therepublic to date," he said.

There exists an ad hoc government anti-bird flu committee, Bagiyan said. Imports of poultry and eggs from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Turkey, Iran, and some Central Asian states into Armenia have been suspended since summer 2005.

"We also cooperate with Russian border guards who guard the Armenian-Turkish border. In particular, an agreement has been reached under which the border guards will report any bird carcass or sick bird they find," Bagiyan said. as

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