Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Meets UNAIDS Executive Director
08.04.2019On April 8, 2019, during his visit to Geneva (Switzerland) H.E. Mr. Vladimir Makei, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, met with Mr. Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV AIDS.
Mr. Vladimir Makei extended high appreciation to UNAIDS for its important contribution to combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Belarus, including through cooperation with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which has been continuously involved in the co-financing of relevant state programs. He further expressed hope for further constructive cooperation aimed at enhancing the country’s capacities in order to confront the challenge in a more effective way in years to come.
Recalling his visit to Minsk that occurred in 2017, the Executive Director has praised Belarus’ achievements in public health, while noting that Belarus’ health care is of high quality and universally available to the population, which puts it in a position to successfully rival advanced countries in terms of relevant health-care indicators.
Moreover, Mr. Michel Sidibé has stressed that Belarus is a regional leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS. With this in mind, he has expressed an interest that the Foreign Ministry of Belarus maintains its high focus on the development of international cooperation in the fight against AIDS, including on the use and dissemination of best practices and expertise that facilitate greater availability of medicines and contribute to reduced virus transmission.
Mr. Vladimir Makei and Mr. Michel Sidibé agreed to continue to engage in a proactive mode with the overriding objective of strengthening Belarus’ health care capacities in erecting an effective barrier against HIV/AIDS, in providing required services for all HIV-infected people and AIDS patients and, not least, in combating stigma and discrimination.
