Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
December 2, 2017 Saturday


UN highlights Armenia's strategic significance for solving refugee problems


YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Deputy FM of Armenia Ashot Hovakimyan
held a meeting with George William Okoth-Obbo,UNHCR's Assistant High
Commissioner for Operations.

During the meeting the deputy FM highlighted the delegation’s visit,
mentioning that Armenia has many years of experience in receiving
refugees.

He stressed that Armenia has put great efforts in assisting refugees
both in the past and present and to care for their needs – especially
touching upon the integration experience of Armenian refugees who
migrated in the 90s from Azerbaijan, then from Iraq and Syria.

The deputy FM briefed the delegation on the latest developments around
the NK conflict. He touched upon the displaced rural population of
villages located in the line of contact as result of the large scale
aggression of Azerbaijan again Artsakh in April 2016, and emphasized
the necessity of humanitarian organizations being accessible for all
in need equally and without discriminations.

Hovakimyan thanked George William Okoth-Obbo for meeting with the
residents of Artsakh’s Talish village and getting to know their
issues.

Hovhakimyan stressed that Armenia continues to assist victims of
conflicts in the Middle East, including ethnic and religious
minorities.

The UN official mentioned that they view Armenia to be a strategically
important country in terms of finding solutions of refugee problems,
highly praised Armenia’s experience of refugee integration, especially
receiving Syrian refugees in recent years and caring for their
educational, social and economic needs.