Committee chairman invites UN Resident Coordinator to visit liberated lands

Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Rovshan Rzayev met with the newly appointed head of the UN resident coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva.

The Chairman of the State Committee congratulated Andeeva on her appointment to a new and vital position and wished her success.

President Ilham Aliyev has identified the solution of IDP problems as one of the priorities of social policy. First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva also pays special attention to the solution of education and health problems of IDPs and carries out important work in this area. In the first years of the former conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a humanitarian catastrophe was prevented in our country with the help of international organizations, as well as UN agencies, at the request of national leader Heydar Aliyev.

Speaking about the successful results of the long-standing relations between Azerbaijan and the UN and its agencies, they expressed confidence that further fruitful work will be done in collaboration. Thus, by ending the occupation of Armenia last autumn, Azerbaijan has also implemented UN resolutions. The reconstruction work carried out in the liberated territories after the war was also discussed in detail. It is important to clear these areas of mines and explosive remnants in order to ensure the voluntary and safe return of IDPs to their homeland. Armenia's refusal to provide a detailed map of the mined areas causes a delay in the process and leads to casualties. Modern infrastructure will be constructed in the liberated territories, and the settlements to be built for IDPs in the liberated territories will be more beautiful than their temporary settlements. Cooperation with international organizations and joint activities with UN agencies are essential in the return process.

UN Resident Coordinator Vladanka Andreeva noted that the cooperation of UN agencies with the State Committee has been going on for more than 20 years: "We believe that partnership will continue at a high level. As my first experience, I worked for IDPs in Kosovo, so I am very familiar with the problems of IDPs. I want to emphasize in particular that the work done in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan fascinates people."

Andreeva also said that she was aware of issues related to mine maps and that the matter had been raised at the UN Security Council.

In the end, the sides exchanged views on repatriation and reintegration.

The chairman of the State Committee invited UN Official to visit the liberated territories to get acquainted with the restoration work.