HHS Secretary and Russian Minister of Health and Social Development Meet to Strengthen Bilateral Public-Health and Research Activities

June 2, 2006, Washington D.C. - The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), hosted a dinner for the Honorable Mikhail Yurievich Zurabov, Russian Minister of Health and Social Development, to follow up on World Health Assembly actions on pandemic influenza and to discuss the upcoming G-8 Leader's Summit in St. Petersburg in July, 2006. HHS Secretary Leavitt and Minister Zurabov also discussed on-going U.S.-Russian bilateral activities in the areas of public health and biomedical research, biosecurity, smallpox, and HIV/AIDS.

The Russian delegation included Dr. Yevgeny Slatnikh, Office of Bilateral Cooperation for Health, Office of Public Affairs, Ministry of Health; Mr. Lev Sherbakov, Personal Assistant to Minister Zurabov; and Mr. Evgeniy Zvedre, Senior Counselor for Science and Technology, Embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington, D.C.

The Honorable Alex M. Azar II, Deputy Secretary of HHS, also attended the dinner and participated in the discussion. The Honorable John E. Lange, Senior Coordinator of the Avian Influenza Action Group, at the U.S. Department of State also participated in the event.

Last revised: November 21, 2007