Armenia under Azerbaijani bioterrorism threat?

March 29, 2012 - 12:48 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Vitreous body with Azerbaijani labeling was discovered in Armenia’s pharmacies.

This became possible only because Armenian government simplified the import procedure, Samvel Zakaryan, chairman of Armenia’s Medicine Producers and Importers Union of Armenia (MPI Union) told a press conference in Yerevan.

Amendments introduced to government’s prior decree “On approval of medicine import and export regulations” of March 2001 resulted in emergence of fake drugs on Armenian market.

Due to these amendments, importers got an opportunity to sell medication on the market without registering it in the relevant research center, with no responsibility assumed with regard to medicine’s production location, its components and the country it was aimed for.

“The vitreous body was produced in Belarus for Azerbaijan; besides, it could have been imported to Armenia, or purchased in Azerbaijan and then brought to Armenia,” Zakaryan said.

In this context, Zakaryan deems simplification of drug import procedures unacceptable in Armenia. “We are concerned about this because the drugs are not registered; furthermore, there is a chance of potential biological terrorism,” he emphasized.

Head of MPI Union further added that some people availed themselves of this “favorable” situation and started to produce fake medication; for this, they were called to account.