The delegation of UK-Azerbaijan Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group was in the State Committee on Deals of Refugees and IDPs.

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Mətbuat xidmətinin məlumatı 29 MAY, 2014

The Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Republic, the chairman of the State Committee on Deals of Refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov met with the delegation led by Christopher Pincher the Chairman of the UK-Azerbaijan Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group on 29 May. The Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov informed the delegation of British parliament about Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno (or Mountainous) Karabakh conflict, the history of the problem and the situation of refugees and IDPs in the country. The Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov brought to attention of the guest that 20 % of Azerbaijan's territory – Nagorno- Karabakh and 7 administrative regions adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh were occupied, more than 1 million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs, national cultural values were plundered and all infrastructures were destructed as a result of the military aggression of Armenian armed forces. Ali Hasanov noted that, United Nations Security Council adopted 4 resolutions on liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, return of refugees and IDPs to their homes. The aggressive policy of Armenia was criticized in the decisions and resolutions adopted by OSCE, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and other influential international organizations. Unfortunately, these decisions and resolutions still remain on paper. Ali Hasanov noted that Armenia should live in a friendly neighborhood with Azerbaijan and said that aggressor achieved nothing from holding our lands under occupation in the past 20 years. The economy of Armenia became more serious during this period. Over 20 years Armenians gained nothing from this conflict. Chairman of Committee noted that Azerbaijan has been the place of tolerance at all times. Independent Azerbaijan builds its policy on this solid foundation. Today representatives of different nationalities and religions live in friendly atmosphere in Azerbaijan. Deputy Prime Minister said that the government of Azerbaijan carries out works in both legal and socio-economic fields in order to meet the needs of refugees and IDPs. At the expense of the funds allocated from the State Oil Fund the living conditions of 180 000 refugees and internally displaced persons have been improved and the process continues. The Chairman of the UK-Azerbaijan Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group Christopher Pincher said that for the first time friendship group consisting of 80 members visited Azerbaijan with such a great staff. It shows that interest is further increasing to Azerbaijan in Great Britain. In British parliament there are different views about Azerbaijan and that is why it is the duty of the members of friendship group to give objective information about Azerbaijan to other members of parliament. Views were exchanged on the issues of mutual interest.