INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE COMMENCES IN BAKU
The organizers of the two-day conference represented by 72 humanitarian organizations are United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, U.S. Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Norwegian Refugee Council and other organizations.
The conference participants have been informed on the hard consequences of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, occupation of 20% of Azerbaijan’s lands, and situation of over one million refugees and internally displaced people. They have also analyzed the aid rendered to these people by the international humanitarian organizations for the last decade, and pointed out the importance to continue this assistance until the refugees and IDPs return to their native lands.
Addressing the conference, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev reported that 600 million dollars humanitarian aid has been rendered for the last ten years by donor countries, international humanitarian organizations, and various local and foreign companies.
The President of Azerbaijan noted the situation of the refugees and IDPs would be much harder if the aid were not rendered, and pointed out 36 million dollars from different sources spent on their need. He also expressed confidence in continuation of the assistance.
Touching upon the work done for peaceful resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, President Ilham Aliyev said the world including states and international organizations playing mediating role in the conflict, should not equally approach an aggressor and subject of aggression. “Azerbaijan has no territorial claims to other countries, and will never give a single inch of its own lands,” he said.
President of Azerbaijan expressed his deep gratitude to donor countries, humanitarian and development organizations for their assistance to the Republic for the past years.
The Head of State appreciated the activity of foreign oil companies operating in Azerbaijan, as well as the new ones, which just start assuming the role of donor. At the same time, he stressed that the measures aimed at improvement of social conditions of refugees and IDPs would be continued, and described this as one of the priority tasks of the Azerbaijan Government.
Afterwards, the conference participants discussed the mentioned issues.
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