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Sonia in Bangkok to address AIDS meet

By P.S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, JULY 15. Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the National Advisory Council and the Coordinating Committee of the United Progressive Alliance, arrived in Bangkok today to address the closing session of the ongoing international AIDS conference there.

Ms. Gandhi will meet Thailand's Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and the Foregin Minister, Surakiart Sathirathi, besides the former South African President, Nelson Mandela, during her two-day visit. The AIDS conference is scheduled to conclude tomorrow.

Ms. Gandhi had, on behalf of India, addressed the United Nations General Assembly's special session on HIV/AIDS in 2001. Underlining that her "commitment to the control of HIV/AIDS has been long-standing and is well-known," the Indian embassy in Bangkok said today that her participation in the latest conference "reaffirms her personal commitment" to combating the disease. He presence at this meeting would also reflect "the political consensus within India on the need to combat AIDS in a multi-dimensional manner, with access for all" in need of treatment and help.

Ms. Gandhi's prospective talks with the leaders of Thailand, scheduled to take place on the occasion of a multilateral meeting, acquire importance in the bilateral context as well, according to independent observers.

The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, is expected to visit Thailand towards the end of this month to take part in a summit of the BIMSTEC countries — Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

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