UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES ARRIVES IN ARMENIA

ArmRadio.am
21.08.2006 10:38

Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees arrived in
Armenia on August 20 to pay a two-day visit. Within the framework of
the six-day regional visit started in Baku on August 16, Guterres
intends to meet with Azerbaijani, Georgian and Armenian officials
and displaced people and refugees. The UN at present makes efforts to
activize the role of the Refugee Agency in the political negotiations
proceeding on settlement of regional conflicts.

The peaceful settlement will allow refugees to return their former
settlements and to re-integrate. The UN, in its turn, will be able to
reduce one of expensive programs: the main worry of the UN Refugee
Agency in Europe is the South Caucasus, and the UN spends about 9.7
mln dollars annually to cover needs of refugees of the region, Noyan
Tapan reported.

On August 20, a UN delegation has arrived to South Ossetia headed
by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres. As REGNUM is
told at South Ossetia’s Press and Information Committee, during the
visit the delegation called on to a center for refugees and IDPs,
where the UN delegation had a discussion with refugees and IDPs from
Georgia’s internal areas. Then South Ossetia’s President Eduard Kokoity
received Antonio Guterres. The UNHCR and the South Ossetian president
expressed their satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting and
noted they hoped for future cooperation, they stress in the committee.

It is worth mentioning that in the first years of the Georgian-Ossetian
conflict the whole number of refugees and IDPs totaled over
14,000. With time, through the mediation of the UNHCR construction
of houses started in the places of their previous living and
rendering assistance to them. As a result people started returning
back home. In Tskhinvali and Znauri districts over 70% refugees
returned. In first years after the conflict people stayed in hotels
or at their relatives’. At present time, there are four collective
centers left where 200 families live. These are three dormitories
and Ossetia Tourist Camp, a REGNUM correspondent is told at Refugees
and IDPs Department at the South Ossetian Office of the Joint Control
Commission.