Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and former US President Bill Clinton met today to discuss co-operation in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Over the years, Norway has allocated considerable resources to the fight against HIV/AIDS. In 2002, the total amount granted was NOK 907.7 million. This included both bilateral and multilateral aid, support to activities where combating HIV/AIDS is the main or a secondary objective, and contributions of NOK 118.3 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and NOK 107.5 million to UNAIDS. Norway is also supporting international research to develop a vaccine against the disease. In its bilateral development co-operation, Norway gives priority to direct support to recipient countries’ own efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, and to mainstreaming HIV/AIDS components into the co-operation in other sectors.

The purpose of the Clinton Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Initiative is to assist nations in implementing large-scale integrated care, treatment and prevention programmes designed to turn the tide of the AIDS epidemic in their countries. It is co-operating with countries in Africa and the Caribbean to develop operational business plans to scale up HIV/AIDS care and treatment.

The pandemic has now reached such dramatic proportions that prevention alone cannot stop it. This is why Norway has put a stronger emphasis on care and treatment in recent years. . Norway is therefore interested in co-operating with the Clinton Foundation on its initiative, given its focus on building capacity for care and treatment at the national level, and in view of the significant contribution it has already made to bringing down the price of anti-retroviral medicines for those suffering from AIDS.

Prime Minister Bondevik and former President Clinton have agreed that at a later date, they will sign a partnership agreement focusing on two countries in Africa where Norway is already providing substantial development assistance, Tanzania and Mozambique. The Prime Minister and former President Clinton agreed that if it is to be effective, the care and treatment effort must be led by the countries themselves. Both Tanzania and Mozambique have adopted national AIDS care and treatment plans with assistance from the Clinton Foundation, and Norway will support their implementation. The Norwegian contribution will be transferred directly to the two countries through established channels, as part of Norway’s overall bilateral co-operation on combating HIV/AIDS.

Norway plans to help Mozambique and Tanzania in expanding their capacity for providing integrated prevention, care and treatment, in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation and other partners. The support will be scaled up gradually. The Norwegian contribution could over the coming five years reach a target of USD 20 – 25 million, provided that the cooperation evolves successfully. Norway and the Clinton Foundation will jointly assess progress with the countries concerned and other partners.