[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 21 (Monday, May 29, 2000)]
[Pages 1186-1187]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters Following the Welcoming Ceremony for President 
Mbeki

May 22, 2000

HIV/AIDS Pharmaceuticals

    Q.  President Mbeki, do you think your government could be doing 
more to distribute the medicines for AIDS in South Africa?
    President Mbeki.  We are discussing that now with the U.N. aides and 
the WHO. Our Health Minister has just come back from Geneva. We want to 
look at all of those things so that we can move more effectively against 
AIDS.
    Q.  Is it true that you don't consider AZT necessarily a good drug 
in fighting it?
    President Mbeki.  I've never said that.
    Q.  How does that come about?
    President Mbeki.  Pure invention. Pure invention.
    Q.  So your position is what, now?
    President Mbeki.  I've never said that. No, what was said with 
regard to the anti-

[[Page 1187]]

retrovirus is that we need to ensure that we are able to cope with 
dispensing. Because the WHO says when you dispense them, you've got to 
have a strong enough medical infrastructure because of the potential 
toxicities and counterindications.
    You need to be able to supervise the patients close. But no, no, 
no--so that's why it's in the aftermath of the announcement that the 
pharmaceuticals were reducing the prices. When we sent our Health 
Minister to Geneva to talk with the WHO--so that we see how to respond 
to that. No, no, it said that there's a lot of stuff that's been written 
which is not true.
    Q.  Mr. President, we were asking President Mbeki if he could do 
more to distribute the drugs that fight AIDS in South Africa. Do you 
think he could do more?
    President Clinton.  Well, we've got to get them to him. He's got to 
be able to afford them. And that's what my Executive order was about. 
And you've got these five big pharmaceutical companies now who said 
they're going to help, and I think we're--you know, in the next couple 
of months, we'll see if we really can get a break for him. But I'm very 
encouraged by what those pharmaceutical companies said.
    And then, of course, if the Congress will pass my tax proposal to 
give a big tax credit to them to develop these vaccines, I think that 
will make a big difference.
    Q.  So you think it's a question of money and not his belief in the 
drugs?
    President Clinton.  Yes, I think--there are some drugs out there 
now; we need to get them out there at affordable prices, and then we 
need to develop the vaccines. And I think we'll be able to do it.

Permanent Normal Trade Relations With China

    Q.  How close are you on China?
    President Clinton.  Well, I'm hopeful. But we're making progress.

 Note:  The exchange began at 10:35 a.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, President Mbeki referred to Minister of Health 
Manto Tshabalala-Msimang of South Africa; and WHO, the World Health 
Organization. A tape was not available for verification of the content 
of this exchange.