Georgian Health Minister rejects reports about closure of Lugar Laboratory in Tbilisi

Georgian Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze on Tuesday rejected media reports about suspension or closure of operation of the Lugar Laboratory in Tbilisi and the National Centre for Disease Control.

Sarjveladze’s comment followed media reports alleging the United States had stopped its funding of the Laboratory, built in 2011 with funds allocated by the US Government.

While noting “several ongoing projects” were being suspended, the Minister called the reports “false information” and urged “opponents” not to “use certain issues for narrow political interests and” not to “mislead the Georgian public”.

“Both the Lugar Laboratory and the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health continue to operate without interruption”, he said.

It is about suspension of several ongoing projects, the content of which is research activities, training, and so on. It is not a programme on which the implementation of any healthcare programme depends”, he added.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently announced suspension of more than $95 million in aid to the Georgian Government.

Blinken’s announcement followed the adoption of a controversial domestic law on transparency of foreign influence by the Georgian Parliament late May.