The Chicken show: take two

Lately, chicken legs have become an essential detail of the commercial and political war waged by Russia and the West. Russia’s reply to the US steel lobby cut down the American snobs very quickly. After Russia's reply, a grand scandal occured, the consequences of which are still being felt in Russia. In particular, at a recent discussion in the Senate, several influential Democrats, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, linked the removal of the 1974 Jackson–Vanik amendment with the export of US chicken legs to Russia. Democrats say that the problem is not yet thoroughly solved.

Despite the fact that Russia has practically given in to the USA, the “chicken argument” impressed the powers-that-be strongly. A chicken war might soon be waged with Germany also.

On Tuesday, Alexey Gordeyev, Russia’s vice-premier and Minister for Agriculture, commented on the scandal developing between Russia and Germany in connection with Germany’s exports of chicken meat containing carcinogens to Russia. Alexey Gordeyev said that Russia’s Ministry for Agriculture would study the recommendations of the International Epizootic Bureau concerning restrictions on import of carcinogen-containing chicken from Germany. In his words, the meat revealed negative a poor quality, because Germany fattened the hens with chemically fertilized grains. At the same time, as the minister stressed, as of now, Russia’s veterinary inspection teams can adequate control the meat imported into the country.

Germany used to export products of poor quality to Russia. Many people remember the scandal connected with Germany’s export of a large batch of frozen beef to Russia during the period when the foot-and-mouth disease raged in Europe. However, very few people are now concerned about the old scandal now. Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats! The chicken show begins!

Dmitry Chirkin PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/05/28/41859.html