Azerbaijan`s Deputy Premier meets newly-appointed Head of UNHCR Office in Baku

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Mətbuat xidmətinin məlumatı 05 August, 2016

Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee for Refugee and IDP affairs, chairman of the Republican Commission for International Humanitarian Assistance Ali Hasanov has met newly-appointed head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Baku Office Furio De Angelis.The Deputy PM praised Azerbaijan`s relations with UNCHR, adding the country`s election as a member of the organization’s Executive Committee was a vivid evidence of these ties.Mr. Hasanov also said appointment of the UNHCR`s new head in Baku would play a significant role in developing these bonds. Ali Hasanov said relations between Azerbaijan and UNHCR were created on solid ground thanks to successful foreign policy of President Ilham Aliyev. The Deputy PM highlighted the works done by President Ilham Aliyev in solving the problems of the IDPs in the country. The Deputy Prime Minister also highlighted Azerbaijan`s development over the last years. He said the country steadily developed under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev across the last 10 years and turned the one of the world`s leading states. The Deputy Premier also underlined the international events hosted by the country, saying Azerbaijan turned to the center of the discussions of ongoing processes in the world. Mr. Hasanov spoke about the importance of UNHCR for Azerbaijan, adding the Organization regularly carry out projects aiming to assist the problems of refugees and IDPs. The Deputy PM also praised activity of the international organizations in the country aiming improvement of the life conditions of the refugee and IDPs. Hasanov spoke about the negotiations process of the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying Armenia occupied Azerbaijan`s 20 per cent lands and destroyed cultural heritage of the country, as well as its infrastructure. "Armenia refused to honour the resolutions and statements adopted by the international organizations, UN Security council as well. OSCE Minsk Group mediates for peaceful settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Minsk Group also stated current status-quo is unacceptable.” Deputy Prime Minister expressed that there are Diasporas of Armenians all over the world and the date of their formation is more than 200 years. Armenians have worked in the most important government posts in the former Soviet era. As a result of these powers and opportunities our nasty neighbors have disseminated groundless information against Azerbaijan. And we achieved to establish our Diaspora organizations after the years of independence. This year is the 25the anniversary of our independence regained. Yet in 1918 Azerbaijan has established an independent Republic at the first time in the Muslim East. We were able to restore our independence in 1991. This created an opportunity for us to promote about our country and government in the world. Although Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev started this job but it is continued successfully and resolutely by the President Ilham Aliyev currently. Furio De Angelis have been informed that Azerbaijani people living in their native lands in the territory of Armenia have been deported from their lands for 4 times in the last 200 years- in the years of 1905, 1918, 1948-1952 and 1988-1992. The last deportation was carried out in the time of President Mikhail Gorbachev. In fact, it was not a deportation but the ethnic cleansing. As a result of this 250 thousand Azerbaijani people have been displaced from Armenia in those years. Talking about the works done for the sake of the settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Deputy Prime Minister stated that all the international organizations receive documents for the regulation of the conflict. By emphasizing that our country has faced with a serious problem like Azerbaijan-Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict after gaining independence no progress has been achieved to solve the problem up to now Ali Hasanov has expressed his regret that there is lack of implementation mechanism of the decisions adopted by the world community and powerful organizations. He also emphasized that Armenia, which has occupied 20% of Azerbaijan lands, has plundered our national and cultural wealth and the entire infrastructure has been destroyed. Armenia ignores the resolutions and decisions adopted by the UN Security Council and other international organizations on the conflict. The talks of the OSCE Minsk Group for the resolution of problem have not yielded any results. Ali Hasanov stated that the President of Azerbaijan Republic carries out an independent policy and cooperates with all the countries. But why this problem is not resolved? No one responds to this question. But they should know that the justice will take its place sooner or later. The perpetrators of this injustice whenever will face with this problem. Ali Hasanov noted that, continuing to occupy the Azerbaijani lands, aggressive Armenia achieved nothing. For this period, the economy of Armenia appeared in even more difficult situation. For the last years, the Armenian people benefited nothing from the conflict, on the contrary, a lot of things lost. Azerbaijan after restoration of its independence has built a democratic, constitutional state. Today Azerbaijan is open for the world, it is the most tolerant country. Representatives of all nationalities, religions live here as one family, in the conditions of peace and tranquility. Churches and synagogues function in Baku. Over the last ten years, the country has held two interreligious international conferences. Religious leaders almost from 160 countries participated in these events. Despite occupation of its lands, Azerbaijan is the most stable, safe country on the CIS space. Over the last ten years, Azerbaijan, quickly developing under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, has turned into one of the authoritative countries of the world. We are already recognized and accepted not as the oil and gas country, also as the country realizing global projects, accepting the important actions directed on the solution of universal problems. We can show as an example “Eurovision” song contest, First European Olympic Games held in Baku for the first time, international dialogue forums and many other similar events. The Deputy Prime minister mentioned at the meeting: Aggressive Armenian armed forces which occupied our territories attacked on our positions in the line of contact at the recent days and as a result of this our armed forces and civilians were killed. Such kind of their acts of provocation is condemned by the several countries and international organizations. I think that, the international organizations should carry out practical, concrete works related to the withdrawal from the occupied Azerbaijani territories of Armenian armed forces. At the meeting of Security Council Mr. President also emphasized that the Azerbaijani army has decently responded to the provocative attack of Armenians in the line of contact on April 2 and gained a great victory. So after that all the provocations of the enemy will not remain unanswered. Because Azerbaijani army is capable of it. Armenia doesn’t want peace and doesn’t want to be withdrawn from the occupied lands and its all efforts were directed to maintain status quo to the maximum. Armenia has violated all international norms. At the same time Mr. President mentioned: “We want to solve the problem peacefully. We don’t want war and bloodshed Talking about Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Ali Hasanov stated that the problem has began in 1988, the last 250 thousand Azerbaijanis living in Armenia have been expelled from their lands by Armenian chauvinists in the same year and thus, the new process of refugees has began in Azerbaijan. He expressed that, there are 1 million 200 thousand refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan as a result of the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia today. OSCE Minsk Group has not taken any concrete steps to solve this problem since its establishment. In his speeches the President of Azerbaijan has repeatedly said that Azerbaijan will liberate its lands at any way compulsorily on the basis of international law, unless fascist regime in Armenia becomes steady. The only reason for the failure to resolve the conflict is a constructive position of Armenian regime, because they have power due to this conflict. It was noted that the current status quo is unacceptable on the conflict. The leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs also stated that the status quo is unacceptable. The prevention of damage caused by the Armenian armed forces in contact line by Azerbaijani armed forces resolutely on April 2-5, once again demonstrated that we are able to return back the occupied territories, as stated by the President of Azerbaijan. One of the numerous sources proving the resettlement of Armenians to Karabakh is "Maraga-150" monument. This monument was built in 1978 by the Armenians on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the resettlement of Armenians from Maragha, Iran to Karabakh after the Treaty of Turkmenchay concluded between Russia and Iran in 1828. The monument “Maragha-150” was deliberately destroyed by Armenians when the territorial claims began against Armenia and Azerbaijan at the end of the twentieth century. The monument which is consistent means to expose Armenian guile and deception has a major political significance. Furio De Angelis, in turn, applauded the works done by Azerbaijan for improvement of life conditions of the refugees and IDPs. He also expressed assurance that cooperation between Azerbaijan and UNHCR would successfully continue in future.