Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
Tuesday
Armenian government makes substantial efforts to assist refugees – FM Nalbandian
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Foreign minister of Armenia Edward
Nalbandian delivered a speech at the OSCE Mediterranean conference in
Palermo, Italy, press service of the ministry told Armenpress.
Armenpress presents the full text of his speech:
“Mr. Chairman, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank Minister Alfano and his team for the
organization of this Conference.
It is widely acknowledged that the security of the OSCE area and of
the Mediterranean region is interconnected and the recent developments
came to prove the veracity of this assumption. The unprecedented large
movements of migrants and refugees across Mediterranean and Middle
East, in particular from Syria and Iraq require close regional
cooperation in order to address such security related issues as
combating terrorism, countering trafficking, dignified treatment of
refugees, to name a few.
From Syria alone Armenia has harbored about 22.000 refugees, on per
capita basis making our country the third largest recipient of Syrian
refugees in Europe. This has caused a number of challenges for a
country of just 3 million which has in the recent past already
received hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing from Azerbaijan.
Many of the Syrian Armenian refugees are descendants of the survivors
of the Armenian Genocide who found shelter in Syria. One hundred years
passed, they were forced once again to abandon their places of
residence. Thus, Armenians know what it means to be a refugee and to
host refugees.
The Government of Armenia has undertaken substantial efforts in
assisting the refugees and facilitating their integration. We offered
wide variety of protection tools such as accelerated asylum
procedures, facilitated naturalization, emergency and medical
assistance, housing, scholarships, simplified access to educational
institutions and labor market, flexible taxation and business
environment. We are grateful for certain international support
provided to Armenia in this regard and look forward for the continued
cooperation.
Armenia has also tried to reach out to the people who need assistance
in Syria by continuous provision of humanitarian aid. The Consulate
General of Armenia in Aleppo has been the only diplomatic mission in
the city that despite challenging conditions has never stopped
operating.
It goes without saying that comprehensive response to the large
movements of migrants and refugees requires addressing root causes of
this phenomenon, such as terrorism and identity based crimes. Armenia
was among the first in the OSCE to raise these issues and strongly
advocate for the strengthening of the OSCE commitments in this regard.
The condemnation of persecutions of individuals and communities,
including on the basis of their religion or belief, bringing to
justice those who participate in perpetrating terrorist acts,
preventing cross-border movement of foreign fighters, weapons, funds
connected to the terrorist activities are important parts of the OSCE
commitments enshrined in the Hamburg ministerial declaration on
terrorism. We are convinced in the continuation of the OSCE efforts in
this regard.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to inform you on the upcoming OSCE conference on
“Countering and preventing hate crimes against Christians and members
of other religious groups,” to be held in Yerevan on November 22. The
participation and contribution of our Mediterranean partners will be
welcome.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Historically the Mediterranean has been not a natural barrier dividing
Europe, Africa and the Middle East, but rather a bridge linking so
many civilizations, Armenians among them, thriving on its hospitable
shores. We strongly believe that these traditions should be further
strengthened”.
