On January 23, 2024, bilateral interdepartmental consultations on biological safety in the territories of Russia and Kazakhstan were held in Saratov. The implementation of agreements on biological safety issues, including specific areas for further cooperation, was considered. The issues of optimizing and improving the effectiveness of cooperation in this area were discussed, including through the formation of an appropriate consultative mechanism. A discussion was held on the initiatives of Kazakhstan on the organization of a joint group for monitoring particularly dangerous infections in border areas and the creation of an International Agency for Biosafety.
The meeting confirmed the unity of approaches of Russia and Kazakhstan to the issue of biosafety. The need for further close coordination and constructive interaction was noted, both in a bilateral format and on specialized multilateral platforms, primarily within the framework of the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons and the UN General Assembly, as well as the CSTO, the CIS and the SCO.
The event was attended by representatives of various ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The interests of our Institute were represented by the head of the Laboratory for the Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Koshemetov Zhumagali Kaukarbaevich.
As a result, it was decided to hold annual advisory events on biosafety issues