Deputy of the Greek Parliament, member of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from Greece Marias Epameinondas met with Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Ali Hasanov.

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Mətbuat xidmətinin məlumatı 17 March, 2014

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Chairman of the State Committee on deals of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Mr. Ali Hasanov met with the Deputy of the Greek Parliament, member of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from Greece Marias Epameinondas on17 March. The Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov informed European deputy about the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno Karabakh conflicts, the history of this problem and the condition of the refugees and internally displaced persons in the country. Deputy Prime Minister brought to the attention of the guest that as a result of military aggression of Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijan, 20 percent of its lands - Nagorno- Karabakh and 7 adjoining administrative regions have been occupied, more than one million compatriots have become refugees and internally displaced persons, national and cultural resources had been plundered, all infrastructure has been destroyed. The aggressive policy of Armenia was condemned in the decisions and resolutions adopted by the OSCE, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other influential international organizations. Unfortunately, these decisions and resolutions still remain on paper. Armenia, ignoring the demands of the international community, continues its illegal activity in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The process of negotiations ongoing for more than 20 years brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group still yielded no results. The Deputy Prime Minister stated that Government of Azerbaijan does great work in the legal, as well as socio-economic fields in order to meet the needs of refugees and internally displaced persons. The Government of Azerbaijan has expended 5.4 billion USA dollars in order to solve the social problems of the refugees and internally displaced persons in the last 20 years. 180 thousand refugees and internally displaced people have been moved to new settlements at the expense of the funds allocated from the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the process in underway. It was noted that in 2003 the poverty rate was 49 percent and 75 percent among refugees and internally displaced persons. However, today as a result of the taken measures, poverty rate has been reduced to 5 percent in the country and to 15 percent among refugees and internally displaced persons. The Deputy of the Greek Parliament Marias Epameinondas stated that they were aware of Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan and the problems of Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons expelled from their homeland. He emphasized his regret about Armenia’s non-fulfilment of resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council and highlighted that they’d support Azerbaijan’s fair position. Marias Epameinondas expressed that his country supported Azerbaijan’s just position in international events in most cases. Marias Epameinondas mentioned the dynamic development of Azerbaijan in the short term after its restoration of independence, stressed that his country would increase efforts further in the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts. The guest underscored the economic relations between the two countries and expressed his confidence about the upward development of relations in the coming years too. Views on a number of issues of mutual interest were exchanged at the meeting.