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Sir,
Concerning 'EU has no real HIV/AIDS strategy for neighbouring countries', the European Union's financial support to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
is indeed generous. However, the region of eastern Europe and central Asia, in turn, is benefiting from financial support provided by the Global Fund - to date, one billion US dollars (more than €700 million) are committed for programmes to address HIV and tuberculosis in 22 countries in the region.
Noteworthy, however, is that the Global Fund's board (of which the European Commission is a member) follows the World Bank's country-income classification when determining whether countries are eligible for support.
Since more and more eastern European countries are classified as "upper-middle income" countries, fewer and fewer of them are eligible for our support.
If Mr Bermejo in EurActiv's article is right in assuming that EU support for the Global Fund is replacing direct EU assistance to the countries in the region, and if at the same time these countries can no longer receive Global Fund grants, then the EU is indeed shifting funds away from its neighbouring countries to other regions in the world.
Urban Weber
Team Leader, eastern Europe and central Asia
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria
Geneva, Switzerland
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
France
Hungary
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Turkey
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