PRESS CONFERENCE BY CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER

PRESS CONFERENCE BY CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER

Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said today that the transfer of power to Iraqi authorities should take place “as quickly as possible”.

“The transfer of power to the local authorities has to be done as quickly as possible”, Mr. Chrétien told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, responding to a question on how much authority the United States should cede to Iraq.

Asked whether he was confident of getting a strong resolution, Mr. Chrétien added, “The reality is there are some very difficult problems to be resolved there and the international community has to work together”.

Mr. Chrétien noted Canada was one of the first countries some months ago to offer financial contributions for the reconstruction of Iraq.  It also offered assistance for police training and help in setting up the judicial system.

“What happened in the past happened, but the future is the future and everyone has to help.  We cannot ask only one country or two countries to carry the burden alone”, Mr. Chrétien said.

Asked about his remarks earlier today at the United Nations HIV/AIDS conference, which focused on the stigma and discrimination suffered by HIV/AIDS patients, Mr. Chrétien stressed Canada’s commitment to supporting the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“We’ve been in relative terms very generous in our support.  The fact that we came, the fact that I spent the day on these two problems shows the preoccupation of Canada on these matters”, Mr. Chrétien said.  (Canada has pledged $50 million to the Global Fund for 2003 and $25 million for 2004, according to the Global Fund’s annual report released yesterday.)

“The question of making drugs available for poor nations is something we’ve always been pushing”, said Mr. Chrétien.

Asked about the date of his resignation from the Liberal Party, scheduled to take place in 2004, Mr. Chrétien said, “I haven’t set the date for my departure.  I said I would be leaving 2004, probably in February”, he said.

Asked about a conversation he had earlier today with Paul Martin, who was expected to win the leadership of the Party during the official vote in November, Mr. Chrétien said he had offered his congratulations to Mr. Martin.

“The new leader will be leader of the Liberal Party when I quit and will be in a good position to win the next election”, he said.

Mr. Chrétien added he hoped the convention in November would be a good occasion for the party to prepare for the upcoming election.

“The convention is a very important moment for the party so it will be in good shape for the next election”, he said.

“I’m very happy everything is working very smoothly.  When you’re a leader, you like to leave a party that is united and ready to fight the next election”, he added.

Mr. Chrétien is scheduled to speak, along with other heads of State, at the opening of the Assembly’s general debate tomorrow.

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