Russia, U.S. agree on how to settle poultry problem
VNUKOVO, near Moscow. May 27 (Interfax) - Russia and the United States have reached an agreement which could finally resolve the problem of supplies of American poultry untreated with chlorine, Russian chief sanitary official Gennady Onishchenko told the press on Thursday.
"We met with U.S. Ambassador John Beyrle last week and we came to terms on four positions which will allow us to abide by Russian laws and Americans not to surrender their political interests. We have negotiated this path, by all accounts," Onishchenko said.
If the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Russia's health and consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor exchange relevant letters, "supplies of poultry not treated with chlorine could be resumed," he said.
Onishchenko did not specify exactly when poultry supplies could resume.
"This does not depend on me," he said.
The discussion is about how the Russian terms could be observed and how Americans could avoid losses in other segments, - perhaps political, not ones related to this subject," said Onishchenko.