ARMENIA TAKES MEASURES AGAINST BIRD FLU

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
6 Mar 06

[Presenter] Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has instructed
the government to waive the added value tax on the imported
poultry feed for six months [to help farmers cope with the bird flu
situation]. Although not a single case of bird flu has been registered
yet by international and local organizations in Armenia’s Ararat and
Armavir districts, the local governments of both districts are taking
measures to discover the infection in time.

In connection with this, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization
[FAO] will give additional technical assistance to Armenia. The
Armenian agricultural minister and the subregional representative of
the FAO for Central and Eastern Europe signed an agreement today on
an assistance programme for taking preventive measures against bird
flu in Europe and the Caucasus.

[Armenian Agricultural Minister David Lokyan] By signing this agreement
the Armenian government tries to solve a difficult problem in the
agricultural sphere and ensure the safety at the poultry plants which
employ 3,000 people. This is part of a complex programme against
the disease.

[Maria Kadlecikova, subregional representative for Central and Eastern
Europe of the UN FAO, speaking in English with Armenia voice-over]
This is the first programme in the region. Preventive measures
against bird flu are at a low level in Eastern Europe. Therefore,
it is impossible to step up the public awareness efforts regarding
the preventive measures against bird flu.