Rosselkhoznadzor strengthens control at border in connection with Kazakhstan's ban on imports of Urals meat, milk

CHELYABINSK. Feb 26 (Interfax) - The epizootic situation in the Chelyabinsk and Kurgan regions is currently normal, but control over the movement of products restricted by Kazakhstan for import from Russia has been strengthened at the Russian-Kazakh border, the press service of the Urals interregional office of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) told Interfax on Thursday.

"The epizootic situation in the Chelyabinsk and Kurgan regions is normal. No particularly dangerous animal diseases, equally dangerous for humans and animals, have been currently registered in these regions," the press service said.

At the same time, in connection with an order from Rosselkhoznadzor's central office, employees of regional offices are strengthening control measures over the export of livestock products at all checkpoints along the Russian-Kazakh border, it said.

"Rosselkhoznadzor's decision was made on the basis of a letter from the Veterinary Control and Supervision Committee of the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry, which introduced temporary restrictions from February 24 on importing farm animals, meat, meat products, milk and dairy products from the Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Kurgan and Orenburg regions onto Kazakh territory, as well as other products that have not undergone heat treatment," the agency said.

According to information posted on Rosselkhoznadzor's website, Kazakhstan introduced similar restrictions for a number of other Russian regions earlier in February.

"The measures to strengthen control at the border will be in effect until a special order from the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry lifts the restrictions on importing products," the press service said.