MOSCOW, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia is planning to provide Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan with laboratory equipment for diagnosing bird flu, the chief of a national health agency said on Monday.

    To implement the initiatives of the Group of Eight on the fight against infectious diseases, Russia is setting up a sub-regional center for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Gennady Onishchenko, head of the Federal Consumer Rights' Protection and People's Health Agency, was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

    The aim of the center is fighting against the bird flu pandemic, and Russia is ready to contribute 43 million U.S. dollars to the campaign, he said.

    "Starting from last December, Russia has been offering technical assistance to its closest neighbors," Onishchenko said. "We have bought nine sets of lab equipment for diagnosing bird flu for Kazakhstan, and another eight sets for Ukraine," the specialist added.

    "We are planning to go further -- to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan," Onishchenko said.