Ukraine, U.S. agree on further fight against biological threats

Chairman of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection Volodymyr Lapa and representatives of the U.S. Department of Defense's Biological Threat Reduction Program have discussed the plan for future cooperation, the agency's press service has reported.

"On March 11 this year, Chairman of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection Volodymyr Lapa and representatives of the Biological Threat Reduction Program have discussed a five-year plan of cooperation (concept of activity)," reads the report.

During the meeting, the sides discussed long-term cooperation as part of the Biological Threat Reduction Program and also spoke in detail about further cooperation as part of the concept of activity for the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.

In particular, the participants discussed the issue of dealing with a collection of especially dangerous microorganisms, expanding biorisk management systems in the national laboratories of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, reforming the legal framework for biorisk management at the national level, and improving the system of supervision of especially dangerous microorganisms.

The sides also spoke about ensuring compliance with diagnostics quality standards in the national and regional laboratories of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, in particular, carrying out exercises for specialists of laboratories.

Lapa thanked the American side for long-term support for the Biological Threat Reduction Program in Ukraine, according to the report.

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