On July 4, the Sub-Committee on Refugees of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan has held at the Hyatt-Regency hotel a seminar on population displacement in the southern Caucasus, reported AzerTAj’s correspondent. The event was attended by political representatives, specialists and representatives of international organizations.

Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Refugees of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland , SOC) said in opening addressing the main goal of the event is to look through works done since the first discussions 2001 on the same theme, to expand of intergovernmental co-operation and co-operation with international organizations for increasing the aid to refugees and IDPs. Members of the Sub-committee have visited refugee camps at Fizuli, Bilasuvar, Saatly and Sabirabad where got acquaintance with its living conditions. By the Azerbaijani government for the last period were undertaken important measures for improving of IDP’s living conditions. There were several settlements which build by the government. Though there is part of the internally displaced persons still suffering a hardship. Participants of the seminar have noted that they must find a new method for the further cooperation between the donor organizations on the rendering aid for refugees.

Member of the Sub-Committee from the Azerbaijani parliament Naira Shahtakhtinskaya has thanked a leadership of committee for the consent to organize this event in Azerbaijan. It has told: carrying out of such seminar testifies that the Council of Europe and committee really wish to assist the decision of a problem. The government of Azerbaijan closely is engaged in the decision of problems. However ignoring by aggressive Armenia of opinions of the international organizations, their destructive positions interfere with the decision of a question. We want, that the Council of Europe and other organizations made active the efforts that the problem has as soon as possible found the decision even more.

Speaking then the head of delegation of Azerbaijani Parliament in the PACE, chairman of Standing commission of the Milli Majlis for international relations and inter-parliamentary communications Samad Seyidov has emphasized, that the seminar represents great value not only from the point of view of the decision of a refugee problem and internally displaced persons, but also from the point of view of an establishment of the location and returning of the persons missing and taken in hostages in conditions of war, and also struggle against human trafficking. The government of Azerbaijan with special attention and keenness approaches to these questions. The refugees expelled from the native centers not only as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict live in our country, but also for other reasons. The government of Azerbaijan has granted asylum also to these people, it tries to improve their social conditions. The international organizations declare, that they are tired. Actually have tired refugees and internally displaced persons. They tired to live in these intolerable conditions without a roof above a head. It can lead to heavy consequences. We address to Armenia. It is necessary for it to release occupied territories completely. It would be good, if the Council of Europe, its corresponding structures, the countries-donors and the international organizations, having consolidated the efforts, have supported a just cause and a fair position of Azerbaijan in settlement of the conflict. It will be simultaneously increased greatly with authority of the given organizations.

Boriss Cilevics ( Latvia , SOC), rapporteur on the refugee situation in the region, vice-president of subcommittee has told: the work spent by the government of Azerbaijan in connection with the decision of a social problems of refugees and internally displaced persons, should be an example and for other countries. It is necessary for us to do the utmost that nobody could interfere with a wish of the compelled immigrants to return to the native centers and their integration into a society. Any sort of abusing it should be suppressed. The major problem consists in development of reliable cooperation between the states of region and the international organizations. Such reliability on Southern Caucasus is at the lowest level. The parties should be presented each other the documents connected with residing of refugees and IDPs, their financial, property, bank and other documents. All recommendations of the Council of Europe should be executed in accuracy. In Azerbaijan we in the certain sense see it. All this, and also our recommendations will find the reflection in the report prepared by us.

Vice-premier of the Azerbaijani government, chairman of the State Committee on problem of refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov has focused on the works done by the government for improving of social conditions of refugees and IDPs. As he said for the last period the Azerbaijani government has spent to solution these problems over $120 than international donors has been allocated for that only $35 million.

Participants of the seminar have also discussed other global and important for both European countries and Azerbaijan issues.