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EU pledges one billion dollars a year to Aids fight
Evian, June 02: The European Union has promised to commit one billion dollars a year to a global fund against Aids, South African President Thabo Mbeki has said after talks at the G8 summit in Evian.
Evian, June 02: The European Union has promised to commit one billion dollars a year to a global fund against Aids, South African President Thabo Mbeki has said after talks at the G8 summit in Evian.
"They have made a decision to move immediately" in response to a US pledge to contribute 15 billion dollars over five years to the fight against HIV and Aids, he told a news conference.
Mbeki was speaking after a handful of African presidents met leaders of the group of eight most powerful nations on the opening day of the G8 summit. Referring to the US announcement, Mbeki said the African leaders "made the same request to the other G8" members.
"They said the EU would pledge itself immediately to one billion dollars a year to the global health fund," he said.
French President Jacques Chirac had expressed his confidence earlier yesterday that the European Union would respond positively. Hailing the US announcement as "historic," he said France would triple its own contribution to the global fund for Aids, set up in 2000, from 50 million to 150 million Euros a year.
Chirac said US President George W. Bush was "totally right" in urging other nations to match the US decision, adding that he thought Europe would "accept the challenge."
However he said the European Union would take a definitive decision on the issue at the bloc`s summit later this month in Greece. Bureau Report
Mbeki was speaking after a handful of African presidents met leaders of the group of eight most powerful nations on the opening day of the G8 summit. Referring to the US announcement, Mbeki said the African leaders "made the same request to the other G8" members.
"They said the EU would pledge itself immediately to one billion dollars a year to the global health fund," he said.
French President Jacques Chirac had expressed his confidence earlier yesterday that the European Union would respond positively. Hailing the US announcement as "historic," he said France would triple its own contribution to the global fund for Aids, set up in 2000, from 50 million to 150 million Euros a year.
Chirac said US President George W. Bush was "totally right" in urging other nations to match the US decision, adding that he thought Europe would "accept the challenge."
However he said the European Union would take a definitive decision on the issue at the bloc`s summit later this month in Greece. Bureau Report