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Russia agrees to lift ban on U.S. poultry in April
By Aleksandras Budrys

MOSCOW, March 31 (Reuters) - Russia agreed on Sunday to lift a ban on poultry imports from the United States next month, removing an irritant in relations ahead of a May summit between presidents Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush.

"We are really pleased to have defused the immediate crisis," U.S. ambassador Alexander Vershbow told a news briefing.

"With the visit of President Bush just two months away, we need to start working to expand our areas of cooperation now that this obstacle appears to have been removed."

Russia slapped the ban on imports of chicken and turkey, citing concerns including salmonella contamination and the use of antibiotics in feed.

Vershbow said the two sides earlier on Sunday clinched the agreement under which Moscow will lift a ban on imports of U.S. poultry by April 10, subject to certain conditions.

The ban, imposed on March 10, was one of several difficulties bedevilling relations ahead of the May 23-26 summit in Moscow and St Petersburg.

Other differences focus on attempts to clinch an accord on slashing strategic nuclear arsenals, with Russia suspicious of U.S. plans to store rather than destroy warheads. Russia is also upset at the imposing of new U.S. tariffs on steel imports.

Russia is the largest market for U.S. poultry products. Last year, the United States shipped about $640 million worth of poultry to Russia, making it the top U.S. customer.

POULTRY NUMBER ONE PROBLEM

"Therefore it is not surprising that this dispute has become the number one problem in the U.S.-Russia relations in the past month," Vershbow said.

"It has engaged at least five cabinet ministers on my side, and even President George W.Bush, who has spoken to President Putin directly about this."

Under a protocol agreement, a copy of which was made avilable to reporters, the United States agreed to exclude temporarily 14 poultry plants from a list of exporters, pending inspection of sanitary conditions.

The U.S. side also agreed to provide assurances against counterfeit veterinary certificates.

"After the U.S. side fully complies with the actions...the Russian veterinary service will lift the temporary ban on U.S. poultry meat exports before April 10, 2002," the protocol said.

Vershbow said Russian experts would fly to the United States next week to visit plants and ports and to learn more about the U.S. food safety inspection and certification system.

Other issues raised in the course of the negotiations will be discussed separately, Vershbow said.

"The issue of antibiotics and other substances used in the poultry processing is a subject for discussions in the next phase of our negotiations," he said.