Conference

14 Sep 2009 - 29 Sep 2009

On 14-17 September, the International Scientific-and-Practical Conference "Monitoring, Forecast and Prevention of Animal Infectious Diseases Using Up-to-date Methods of Epizootology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology" took place in Feodosiya (Crimea, Ukraine). More than 120 veterinary science experts from different CIS countries (Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Tajikistan) and European countries (Poland, France, Serbia) discussed a variety of issues concerning biosafety and biosecurity in veterinary medicine, clinical practices, and food inspection. At the invitation of STCU, Dr. Marie-Francoise Saron (biosafety/biosecurity expert of the Administration of Prime Minister of France) participated in the conference, and STCU Senior Deputy Executive Director (Ukraine) Igor Lytvynov made a presentation on STCU activities in the biosafety/biosecurity area.

Also during the conference, there was a meeting of the Coordination Council for Research Cooperation of Intergovernmental Council for Cooperation in Veterinary Medicine of CIS countries (chaired by Ukrainian Academician B. Stegniy, Director of the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Kharkiv, Ukraine). The STCU delegation and Dr. Saron were invited to participate in this meeting. The Coordination Council prepared a protocol to establish an “International Expert Group for Biosafety and Biosecurity in Veterinary Medicine”, which was endorsed by all the Council Meeting participants. As one of its first tasks, this Expert Group will seek to harmonize the existing normative systems for veterinary biosafety/biosecurity across the group’s CIS members, as well as across STCU recipient and donor parties.