The Concern of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Since the moment when the oil strategy, founded by our national leader Haydar Aliyev, began to bear fruit, in the process of the increase of economic opportunities, in sphere of social protection of refugees IDPs, as well as in other branches, the realization of large-scale measures at the state level has started. At the expense of 359 billion manats, allocated by the State Oil Fund according to the decrees no. 562 (August 22, 2001) no. 577 (September 7, 2001) and no 700 (May 13, 2002) of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Haydar Aliyev, 6410 private houses with the total area of 392 thousand square meters, 18 schools containing 3150 places, 19 medical aid stations, 18 kindergartens, 13 baths, hospitals containing 75 beds, inner and external roads for settlements with the length of 195 km, external and internal water pipes with potable water with the length of 188 km, air conductors of electricity transmission with the length of 350 km, irrigational water pipe with the length of 133 km, 10 public club centers, 11 communication houses and many other vitally important social objects are constructed and put in operation.

As a result of realization of these measures 5 camps in the territory of Bilasuvar area were liquidated, the living conditions of 1329 refugee and 5081 IDP families (32 thousand persons) are improved. In again constructed settlements more than More than 6.000 workplaces are formed, more than 5 thousand persons work on allocated plots of land, and 1.000 persons work in budget organizations.

According to the Decision no. 182 of the Ministry of November 19, 2002 the gratuitous financial grant is made for them to deal with agriculture.

In 1993 the amount of the grants allocated to IDPs for their monthly food charge was 500 manats per person, and for last 12 years this number has increased 90 times and since January 1, 2005, according to the Order of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic of January 1, 2007, the amount of this grant is mounted up to 45 thousand AZN.

According to the Decision no. 15 of the Ministry of the Azerbaijan Republic from January 22, 2002 “On the application of the rules of benefits payment to not lodged refugees and IDPs in connection with the replacement of the established privileges of them with cash benefits", accepted in the execution of the Decree no. 13 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan of December 26, 2001, the cost of municipal and other services that IDPs use, is paid directly to appropriate service organizations in time and in centralized order. Since 2005 the monthly quota of the kerosene-fuel, allocated to 90 thousand families of IDPs, temporarily populated in cities and the areas of the republic, which are not provided with natural gas (30 liters for each family), according to the decision of the Ministry of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is increased up to 40 liters for each family.

On the basis of appropriate decisions of the Ministry the payment of the monthly average salary to the 13,9 thousand IDPs, who have earlier worked in the enterprises and organizations, financed from budget, and those who lost their because of the reasons not depending on them, and to the persons still not provided with work continues.

At the expense of 2 billion manats, allocated from budget during 2001 – 2002 according to the Decision no. 204 of the Ministry of November 6, 2000 “On the statement of rules and conditions for granting credits to IDPs for agricultural engagement” privileged credits are given to more than 1000 IDPs.

Necessary measures are taken on a regular basis with the aim of providing the normal activity of 699 comprehensive schools, where 90 thousand pupils are trained and 12 thousand teachers are employed, in 169 organizations of public health service with 4300 workers, and 1350 culture institutions established in the places of IDPs’ temporary settlement.

For the purpose of health protection of IDPs, with the help of the Ministry of Health and international humanitarian organizations, in public health centers formed in the places where they are densely settled or through mobile medical brigades, regular inspections and treatments are carried out.

The President’s attitude towards the problem

All the concern and problems of about one million refugees and IDPs, became the subject of the daily concern of the national leader of our people Haydar Aliyev, and the Azerbaijani state. The fact is the greatest desire of our national leader Haydar Aliyev, who has devoted all his life to Azerbaijan and our people, was the release of our occupied lands. After returning to power on demand of people, Haydar Aliyev spent more than 200 meetings with OSCE leader and the representatives of the Minsk group, more than 500 meetings with the leaders of 80 countries. In all these meetings and actions of international and local scale he by all means mentioned the Armenian-Azerbaijan and Upper Garabakh conflict and named it the number one problem of our country. On Budapest (1994), on Lisbon (1996), on Istanbul (1999) summits the measures were defined for the peaceful and political solution of the conflict, and also the execution of the unfair 907-th amendment of the Congress of the USA, forbidding rendering assistance to independent Azerbaijan was stopped. In 1998 by the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan "The State program for the solution of the problems of refugees and IDPs" was approved. In 1999 by the decree of the President, for the first time in the world practice, the Fund of Social development of IDPs was organized.

By the order no. 298 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev of July 1, 2004 "The State program for improving the living conditions of refugees and IDPs and the increase of employment among them " was approved. This program and the wide measures stipulated in it again evidently confirm the constant state care for refugees and IDPs in our country. Concerning the question of territorial integrity of our country the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan I. Aliyev in his speeches in the forums of high level organized internationally and in our country has repeatedly emphasized that not a span of our land will be presented to enemy. And in case the peaceful solution of the problem is not possible, the occupied territories Azerbaijan will be released them by any means.

As a whole, it has been intented in the State program the improvement of a social status of 22921 families -110 thousand compelled immigrants and also resettlement of 21354 families in new settlements, repairing public buildings in which 1567 families have been placed, to establish 30 thousand workplaces (25 thousand of them in building cities, and 5 thousand in the new organized small shops)

On September 11, 2004 during his visit to Barda region and meeting with the compelled immigrants who temporary settled down on the tent camp of the same region Mr.Ilham Aliyev noted the following: “The tent camps which exist in our country will be abolished soon and the compelled immigrants will be moved to the new settlements”

Referring to previous 3 years we can see that the abolishment of the tent camps was the priority problem of the state.

So that corresponding to the order number 80 of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic dated February 4, 2004, and according to the New State Program, due to the means of State Oil Fond the customer the construction of 12 settlements in Agdam region and 1 settlement in Agjabady region was completed by the Organization Social Development Fond of the compelled immigrants, and resettlement of the compelled immigrants to those settlements and abolishment of 4 tent camps was provided.

It is necessary to note that on March 1, 2006 during his visit to the Agdam region Prezident Ilham Aliyev got acquainted with the construction processes of the new settlements for the compelled immigrants and took part at the ceremony of the lay down foundation of “Guzanli” Sport Complex and inauguration of the settlement “Banovshalar”.

In new built settlements in Agdam and Agjabady regions in the 190632 square meters area, besides it 3860 residental buildings, 15 school buildings, 5 kindergartens, 1 hospital, 9 first-aid posts, 8 club – community centers, 7 post and communication departments, 11 bath – houses, 10 administrative buildings, 1 fire post have been built, 113,8 square meters road, 139,2 square meters waterpipes, 43,2 square meters closed irrigation system, 211,9 square meters electricity cables have been laid, 124 artesian wells have been dug. 20 thousand person more than from 30 cities and area have been involved in building business.

Besides it, it have been constructed apartment houses for 100 refugees and compelled immigrants in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. In Saatli region the resettlement of compelled immigrants to the settlement for 100 families was provided due to the means of the Constructors International Company (CCIC) which is engaged in the construction of Azerbaijan Section of Baku – Tbilisi – Jeyhan pipe of Yunanistan.

Generally, in 2001 – 2007 due to means in 360,4 million manats of State Oil Fund in order to improve the flat – mode conditions of refugees and compelled immigrants 15713 houses, 49 settlements in the general area 838.5 square meters, 106 school, 4 music schools, 34 kindergarten for 1276 persons, 4 hospitals, 37 medical assistance centers , 29 club – community centers, 30 communication centers, 31 bath – houses, 36 administrative buildings, 7 fire posts, 103 water depots (50200 cube metre), 9 substations were built, Irrigation systems in 9883.0 hectares, 465 kilometers of road, 540 kilometers of water line, 808.7 kilometers electric cables have been laid, 128 artesian wells have been dug, 402 different transformers were constructed.

Also in Saatli and Sabirabad regions are being provided all essential measures in connection with abolishment of 3 camp tents and establishment the new settlements for temporary settled 4179 compelled immigrant families.

For this reason areas were determined and the construction work took a start in Sabirabad and Agdam regions. At present the tender procedure is held on construction of 5 settlements in Bilasuvar region, and the work on cleaning the mined areas in Fuzuli region is about to be finished.

Also, in accordance with New State Program it has been determined ground to build new settlements in area Goranboy for 500 families from Khojaly region and for 500 families from area Khojavand in Beilagan region. At present the problem on financing the construction of these settlements is discussed.

In 2003-2007 in connection with adjustment of conflicts, President Ilham Aliev has lead 8 meetings with the president of the Armenian Republic, 22 meetings with chairmen of OSCE and leaders of the different countries during 78 visits to the foreign countries.

The Conference dedicated to the refugee and IDPs problems was held with the participation of leaders of all ministries, commitees and companies under the direct of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on September 14, 2007.

The help provided by State bodies

According to the state programs approved by orders of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan of September 17, 1998 and of July 1, 2004, 84 ministries, state committees, companies, concerns and other central organizations are attached to cities and areas where IDPs are temporarily settled. In 1998-2005 financial, food and other aids with the amount 5501 milliard manats were rendered to IDPs by these state bodies.

The information on the help, rendered by the central organizations, attached to the cities and areas of the republic according to the state programs "

On the solutions of the problems of refugees and IDPs" of September 17, 1998 and " On the improvement of the living conditions of refugees and IDPs and the increase of employment among them” of July 1, 2004 "

(as of July , 27 2007)

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