Mr. President,

HIV/AIDS is among the most serious challenges of 2151 century. The scale of this epidemic has acquired global character. It poses a real threat to sustainable social and economic development of all countries of the world. In Africa AIDS acquired such catastrophic proportions that it has become the major cause of mortality.
There is an acute need for consolidated efforts of all the countries of the world and all sectors of society to confront the emergency situation caused by global spread of HIV infection.

We share the comprehensive approach to this problem, proposed by the Secretary General in his report to this UNGASS. It takes into account its various aspects, i.e. social, economic, demographic, gender etc. and on this basis points out possible ways to address this problem.

We believe it is crucially important to set forth scientifically based and realistic strategic goals and benchmarks to fight HIV-infection. Measures to confront HIV/AIDS and other dangerous infectious diseases should come alongside with national and international efforts to address such global challenges as conflicts, hunger, poverty.
We support the activities of the UN and its specialized agencies, first of all such recognized and respected ones as WHO and UNAIDS, aimed at mobilization of broad international participation to stop the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The timely initiative of the Secretary General to establish the Global fund for HIV/AIDS and health is of special importance. We believe that such a fund should be open and universal to be maximum extend both in terms of resource mobilization and allocation as well as in providing assistance to all countries that might be in need of it without exception. This means that in its practical work, the Fund should adequately take into account specific needs of countries facing the risk of rapidly increasing rates of spread of HIV/AIDS. We are ready for active cooperation with all the partners on the issues related to the establishing of the Fund and for defining the forms of our intellectual and material input.
 

Mr. President,

In recent years, rising infection rates of HIV were registered in Russia. That's why the problematic of combating the spread of HIV/AIDS is among the priority areas of the activities of the Russian Federation both at national and international levels. Among the basic legal documents regulating these activities are the Federal law "On prevention of spread of disease caused by HIV in the Russian Federation" (1995), "Federal programme on the prevention of spread of disease caused by HIV in the Russian Federation" (1996) and "Interstate programme of cooperation among the CIS member-states in the area of HIV prevention". At present we are actively engaged in envolving business community, non-govemmental organizations and religious confessions into activities aimed at seeking solution to HIV/AIDS-related problems.

The serious deterioration of the situation in the field of the spread of HIV/AIDS is taking place as well in the region of Central and Eastern Europe and CIS. A special attention was given to that problem at the meeting of the Council for health cooperation in CIS member-states held on June 19 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The meeting adopted an Appeal of the Council for health cooperation to the participants of the 26-th special session of the UN General Assembly. It expresses the confidence that recommendations of the UNGASS will promote international cooperation on HIV/AIDS, inter alia, in the interests of the population of the CIS member-states. This appeal was circulated as an official document of the 26-th UNGASS.
 

Mr. President,

The most important outcome of our work here is the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. Supporting the goals and tasks encrusted in the document we consider it a long-term programme of cooperation to combat HIV/AIDS. Implementation of this Declaration will become an outstanding example of international partnership for the sake of improvement of health of the population of the world and ensuring sustainable socio-economic development.
 

Thank you.