MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow will host the first regional AIDS/HIV conference for countries in the area formerly covered by the Eastern bloc on May 15-17, the Foreign Ministry said on its web site Tuesday.
The ministry said 1,500 representatives from the Commonwealth of Independent States (a loose confederation of former Soviet republics), the Baltic states, eastern Europe, and Central Asia, as well as UNAIDS officials and NGOs would participate in the conference.
The purpose of the conference is to consolidate efforts to fight AIDS through involvement of political leaders, and improving technical resources.
According to the ministry, the conference "could become a turning point in the fight against the epidemic in the region, as it will allow [the participants] to exchange opinions and formulate unified approaches in the fight against the spread of HIV."
