PRESIDENT VOWS TO PROVIDE ALL AZERI REFUGEES WITH HOUSING
AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
August 17, 2006 Thursday
President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees Ant?nio Guterres on Thursday. Aliyev
said the fact that a million people became refugees and internally
displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of the occupation of Azerbaijani
territories by Armenia is the main problem faced by his country. The
head of state noted that the Azerbaijani government is taking the
needed steps to improve the living conditions of refugees, pledging
that all settlers from make-shift tent camps would be relocated soon.
The president expressed hope that the Commissioners visit would
contribute to the expansion of relations between Azerbaijan and
UNHCR. Guterres said the organization passed a decision last year to
heed attention to the problems of Azeri refugees and IDPs. He praised
the governments efforts to improve the living standards of refugees.
Guterres expressed confidence that cooperation between Azerbaijan
and UNHCR would continue to develop.