LEGAL STATUS TO REFUGEES
Lragir.am
14 April 06
The PACE called Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia for granting refugees
in these countries a status that complies with the international law,
informs the news agency ARKA, referring to Russian sources.
In his report Parliamentarian Boris Cilevic invited Armenia, Georgia
and Azerbaijan to grant a legal status to the refugees living in
these countries. It is stated in the report that the status must be
based on the humanitarian law and be equal to the status of refugees
of Chechnya. The author of the report thinks the situation of the
displaced persons and refugees hampers economic, social and political
development in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Boris Cilevic mentions that the efforts of countries for the settlement
of some conflicts, particularly the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh
produced no results, border incidents persist, the fate of the missing
is unknown.
In the report Nagorno Karabakh is said to have the highest number of
refugees. According to the statistics provided by the UN, 235 235
refugees were counted in Armenia, in Georgia – 237 069 in Abkhazia
and 12 131 in South Ossetia. After the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh
there are 578 545 displaced persons in Azerbaijan.
The PACE invited the countries of the EU to render financial support
to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan to settle the problems of refugees
and the displaced persons.