Deputy Premier of Azerbaijan meets foreign journalists

Baku, May 2 (AzerTAc). 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 journalists representing the Avenue Europe Association registered in Strasbourg and affiliating reporters accredited by the Council of Europe. Ali Hasanov updated the journalists on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, its history and causes as well as the plight of IDPs. He said Azerbaijanis were deported from their native lands a few times in the wake of the complicated political processes in the South Caucasus region in the past 200 years. “They faced ethnic cleansing.” According to him, the Armenian aggression resulted in the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands. Ali Hasanov underlined that the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding the return of refugees and IDPs to their homelands. “Decisions and resolutions adopted by the OSCE, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other international organizations condemned Armenia`s aggressive policy.” “Unfortunately, Armenia continues to occupy Azerbaijani lands and flout international resolutions. OSCE Minsk Group-mediated peace talks have not produced any tangible results over the past 20 years.” He noted that the Armenian economy got into the difficult situation, adding “their population began to leave the country and the country itself was left out of the major regional projects implemented with participation and initiative of Azerbaijan”. Ali Hasanov said Baku is keen on fair and peaceful resolution of the conflict. “The government goes to great lengths in order to meet the needs of refugees and IDPs. The Government has spent 5.4 billion US dollars to solve the social problems of the IDPs during 20 years. With funding of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan, 180,000 refugees and IDPs moved to new buildings. The humanitarian program for the internally displaced persons is being implemented too.” He noted that the poverty level in the country dropped from 49% to 5% with that among IDPs falling from 75% to 15%.