Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 26 October (BelTA) - Michel Sidibe, the Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), met with Belarus’ Permanent Representative to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva Yuri Ambrazevich, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Michel Sidibe expressed his satisfaction with the current level of Belarus-UNAIDS cooperation and welcomed the concerted efforts of the country’s government to give an effective and sustainable domestic response to the problem of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

The UNAIDS Executive Director also thanked Belarus for the support of UNAIDS as expressed in the message from the Belarus President to the participants of the UN General Assembly High -Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS held in New York in June 2016.

The parties also discussed the preparation of a regional meeting on wider access to quality and affordable antiretroviral and anti-TB drugs in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which will be held in Minsk in November 2016. The UNAIDS Executive Director expressed confidence that the outcome of the meeting will make the basis for the development of closer regional cooperation on this matter. The results of the discussions are expected to contribute to the improvement of national systems for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis

At the end of the meeting, the parties expressed their hope that Belarus’ membership in the UNAIDS governing body in 2017 will give a fresh impetus to the work of government bodies in the interests of citizens within the country and will help boost the international image of Belarus.