Friends,
Welcome to the International Conference on HIV/AIDS, which is taking place in Moscow for the fourth time.
As always, this conference is attended by researchers and medical professionals, experts, healthcare policy makers, government representatives and non-governmental organisations from more than 40 countries. The agenda includes a discussion of the spread of the HIV virus, which has been a serious threat to humanity for more than 30 years now.
Russia consistently addresses this problem at the national level, and, in conjunction with the UN, provides assistance to other states, primarily the CIS countries. This close cooperation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia helps expand prevention programmes, with treatment and medical and social support for people affected by the human immunodeficiency virus becoming increasingly available. It is imperative to continue this work and to step up the implementation of advanced forms of medical treatment and technology and, of course, to strengthen international cooperation for the sake of this lofty humane goal: to protect human health and take proper care of those who are affected by this disease.
I am confident that the participants of your authoritative forum will have interesting discussions, exchange ideas and share new knowledge, and that the recommendations of the conference participants will be used in practice.
I wish you success, and all the best.
Dmitry Medvedev
