Russian vets reporting preliminary results of big visit to China, Thailand and South Korea

A team of Russian vets from the nation's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Rosselkhoznadzor has returned from a trip to China, Thailand and South Korea where the parties discussed the food safety issues of seafood products exported to the Russian market. The delegation was led by Igor Chernyshenko, head of the organisational-inspectorial department of Rosselkhoznadzor, according to the influential government department.

In China the Russian delegation met with leaders of the Registration Department of the Chinese Certification and Accreditation Administration. The Russian vets looked into operations of the Main State Department of Surveillance and Quality Inspection and Quarantine. The Chinese side presented a list of 350 fish processing plants willing to export to Russia and 36 plants were inspected by the Russian vets in the course of the visit.

In Thailand the Russian delegation met with leaders and specialists of the nation's Fishery Department. Besides, the delegation looked into operations of the nation's Food Quality Control Department. Seafood supplies to Russia are interesting for 101 Thai fish processing plants and 12 plants were inspected by the Russian vets in the course of the visit.

During the trip, the Russian and Thai sides signed a Protocol between Rosselkhoznadzor and Thai Fishery Department according to which the new veterinary certificate for seafood shipments to the Russian Federation should be approved. Besides, starting from now the Thai side should submit to Rosselkhoznadzor the information on seafood shipments to Russia on a quarterly basis. The Russian side invited a delegation of the Thai Fishery Department to visit Russia in 2007.

In South Korea the Russian delegation met with leaders and specialists from the nation's Ministry of Fisheries and checked two fish processing companies. According to the results of the talks, the sides signed a Protocol between Rosselkhoznadzor and the Korean Ministry of Fisheries about the sides' intention to do all their best to fight against importation of illegally harvested Russian fish to the South Korea.