Speed of the president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, at the opening session ot the 13th international AIDS conference

Durban, Huly 9, 2000

Abstract

On behalf of our government and the people of South Africa, I am happy to welcome you to Durban and to our country. You are in Africa for the first time in the history of the International Aids Conferences. We are pleased that you are here because we count you as a critical component part of the global forces mobilised to engage in strnggle against the Aids epidemie confronting our Continent. The peoples of our Continent will therefore be closcly interesred in your work. They expect that out of this extraordinary gathering will come arnessage and a programme of" action that will assist them to disperse the enenacing and frightening clouds that hang over ali of us as a result of the Aids epide mie. [...]