 The Russian Federation is experiencing one of the most rapid growths of HIV-AIDS infections in the world and most infections are due to the sharing of needles and syringes among ejecting drug users. These infections are easily prevented in other countries, using cheap and effective programs such as the provision of sterile needles and the substitution of street heroin with medications like methadone. However, Russia ignores scientific evidence and still refuses to adopt these harm reduction programs. At the 53rd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the United Nations, the HCOU's video advocacy team attended the press conference of the Russian delegation to ask why. In the European Union, they have methadone prescription programs. Does the Russian government think that maybe introducing these kind of programs can decrease the demand of drugs in Russia? As for the second question, the so-called methadone therapy in Russia supports the consolidated opinion of many specialists and drug addicts and health organizations of our scientific specialists. In addition, the scientific evidence of clinical tests that confirm the usefulness of this method is not yet available in the world. In this question, we are solidarity with our colleagues from the United States of America. They do not have the same position. Although we do not prevent any experiments with methadone therapy in our regions, we do not prohibit it, but do not give federal support. Again, is there any way how UNODC can engage in a dialogue with the Russian government to change that position? Regarding Russia, yes, I did attend myself the session, the meeting with the press by the Drugsator of Russia, Mr. Ivanov. Yes, he made a statement about substitution therapy and methadone as not to be successful. We all are entitled to our views, that was he said. I would have not said that, but I also recall and I pay tribute to him that he said that there is no federal legislation in Russia supporting methadone facility, but we are love experimentation going on, love regional entities including municipal administration to engage in substitution therapy. I believe that that is something quite positive. What we are left with is to help Russia understand the question. Thank you very much. Yesterday there was a press conference of the Russian delegation and Mr. Ivanov from the Federal Drug Control Agency said that there is absolutely no evidence that methadone works. What is the position of the European Commission on opiate substitution treatment? The exact opposite of what Mr. Ivanov says on all accounts. We believe that it is peer-reviewed scientific evidence and we are using it. We are using methadone treatment all throughout the EU and we are not going to change that. Do you think that the EU can have a role in convincing the Russians? We are trying and we keep talking to them and we also know that we have the support of other partners like the US. I hope that anybody who is dealing with the Russian government is giving them much better advice than they get now from their specialists. Anybody who speaks, Mr. Ivanov or anybody else who says that this is not an evidence-based intervention is directly scientifically wrong. Moreover, the use of methadone therapy in Ukraine, Belarus and in the Baltic Republic during the use of methadone is a deterioration of the situation. It did not give the effect, on the contrary, of the negative effect. What are your experiences with methadone programming between you and how successful you think they are? Substitution treatment was implemented in Lithuania in 1995, so I expect it is quite a long time for results. The main point is that substitution treatment and the loud racial services led us to decrease new HIV cases from 70% five years ago to 30%. So it is quite positive results, I think. I have been working with the Clinton Foundation in Ukraine since the advent of methadone in the country, particularly in the Oblast of Nopropotrosk. It has worked out very well. There are now over 500 patients in the Oblast on methadone. They need many more in order to impact the huge drug problem that they are having there now. But the patients are extremely happy with it. It is just phenomenal to see the changes in their lives. If heroin intoxication takes place in two weeks, then methadone intoxication on methadone intoxication takes place in 40 days. It needs access to the medication that will save their lives, prevent infection, prevent overdose. I was going to Mr. Siddipe, if you could clarify for us whether we can consider the restriction of access to sterile needles and the denial of methadone treatment to drug users, human rights violation, if you could talk about this. For me, and not giving the weight of a pupil to have access to services, when those services can save lives, it is a violation of human rights. And I am just saying that like that. Alan Cliff, the harm reduction communication in New York. When a country like Burma violates human rights, they are internationally isolated. When Russia comes to meetings like this and denies the science behind methadone and needle exchange and publicly refutes the science that we all believe in, not a word is said. And yet they are denying access to all these medications, to methadone, to sterile syringes and there is no response. What can we do as an international community to actually put pressure on the Russians? The IAS doesn't really have an opportunity to put any formal pressure other than bringing the evidence and making the evidence known and basically highlight the gaps that are present. Russia has the largest epidemic in the region with a million people infected with HIV. And we are deeply concerned by the non-availability of opioid substitution therapy and the fact that the vast majority of needle and syringe programs are being supported by external donations. We personally believe that when scientific evidence is there, it needs to be used and used to reduce a certain level of suffering. We have now done all of you the press to make this a priority and to highlight the areas of deficiency that were here outlining for you.