Quarantine measures not to affect Russian-Chinese economic relations

Quarantine measures to prevent SARS spread in the Russian Far East may inflict economic damage on Russian and Chinese small and medium businesses, but they will not affect the two countries' economic relations significantly, said the Russian presidential plenipotentiary in the Far Eastern federal district Konstantin Pulikovsky at a press conference on Tuesday.

As the virus is more likely to appear in border towns, the authorities are taking all necessary steps at the border in order to prevent SARS import and spread on the Russian territory, he said. "These steps are reluctant, but necessary," the plenipotentiary emphasised.

The current situation requires a serious attitude not only on the part of local authorities, the sanitary and epidemiological service and other medical officials, but also of all Russian citizens, he believes.

"The economic damage that may be inflicted on businessmen because of suspended work at border checkpoints, cancellation of invitations and suspension of air flights over the border, etc. cannot be compared with the damage the disease may inflict," Pulikovsky pointed out.