Chirac accuses US of blackmail

Speaking at an international AIDS conference in Bangkok on 13 July 2004, French President Jacques Chirac attacked the US for seeking to use bilateral trade agreements to reduce developing countries' access to cheap medicines for diseases such as HIV and AIDS. Mr Chirac called for full implementation of the 2003 World Trade Organisation accord that allows less developed countries to override patents when obtaining essential medicines.

http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/pharmpatent_e.htm http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/pharmpatent_e.htm

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/03/1189&format=HTML&rapid=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/03/1189&format=HTML&rapid=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: DG Trade: Trade Issues: Harnessing Globalisation: Access to essential medicines http://ec.europa.eu/comm/trade/issues/global/medecine/index_en.htm

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