A meeting with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Great Britain in Azerbaijan was held.

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Mətbuat xidmətinin məlumatı 11 January, 2017

Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee on Deals of Refugees and IDPs, Chairman of State Committee for International Humanitarian Aid Ali Hasanov met with the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Northern Ireland Mrs. Carol Mary Crofts on January 11. The ambassador Carol Mary Crofts said that her country had been in cooperation with Azerbaijan for more than 20 years, and BP was the largest investing company in our country. Saying that being acquainted with different regions of our country during her stay in Azerbaijan, the ambassador Carol Mary Crofts emphasized the hospitality of our people which deeply impressed her, and rapid recent development of Azerbaijan, further increase of reputation of our country in internal arena. Stating that Azerbaijan and Great Britain has good relations, Ali Hasanov expressed the importance of further development of these relations and strengthening of mutual cooperation and he hopes that diplomatic activity of the ambassador Carol Mary Crofts will contribute further strengthening of these relations. Ali Hasanov highly appreciated the operation of more than 150 companies of Great Britain in non-oil industry, as well as the operation of BP in oil industry, and support of true position of our country related to Nagorno Karabagh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in international organizations by Great Britain. Deputy Prime Minister also said to ambassador that illegal visits and activities of UK citizens and companies in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, processing of gold, which is illegally extracted from ore mine in the occupied lands of the country, in Armenia and sale of it in several European countries, including in London Stock Exchange iwas unacceptable and stressed the importance of preventing such unpleasant situations. Giving detailed information on Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabagh conflict, and its history, Ali Hasanov stated that Armenia had not fulfilled the requirements of decisions and resolutions made by influential international organizations on liberation of occupied lands of Azerbaijan, returning of refugees and IDPs to their native lands yet. The OSCE Minsk Group dealing with the settlement of this issue did not reveal any effective result in spite of operating more than twenty years. Azerbaijan is interested in ensuring stability, peace, and developing cooperation. For this purpose, first of all the resolutions of international organizations should be implemented and Azerbaijan's territorial integrity should be maintained. Armenia intensively violates the negotiations process. The government of Armenia doesn’t want to settle the conflict, keeps our lands under occupation with help of its supporters and continues its non-constructive position. The world community does not exert any pressure on the aggressor country. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov said that Armenia had not been making any progress for the last 20 years and he emphasized that the country's economic conditions had worsened during the past period, the aggressor state had been left out of the international and regional projects realized with the participation of Azerbaijan. In other words, the Armenian people has not gained anything from this conflict over the past 20 years, the situation in this country is worsening day by day, people move to foreign countries. Informing the ambassador about the successes scored by our country in all fields in the recent years as a result of successful balanced policy of the President Ilham Aliyev, in spite of the tension of socio-political processes happening in the world, and existing economic crisis, Ali Hasanov said that the government of Azerbaijan created all the conditions for refugees and IDPs, significant achievements had been made in ensuring transparency, protecting human rights. See the countries that rebuke our country on democracy, corruption, protection of human right today. See how refugees are persecuted in Europe. All this is obvious. However, the UN secretary-general, former High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres exemplifies our country to the whole world for the conditions created by the President to Azerbaijan for refugees and IDPs. Ali Hasanov said that the poverty rate in 2013 was 49 percent in the country, and as a result of measures taken today this figure was reduced to 5 percent. This indicator was decreased from 75 percent to 12 percent for refugees and IDPs. The funds received from oil industry in Azerbaijan were largely directed on the implementation of social programs. Dependence on oil in the country is decreasing year by year. Today more than 70 percent of gross domestic product is produced in non-oil sector. Our country is one of the fastest growing countries. It is intended to eliminate the economy's dependence on oil, and poverty till 2020. Convenient and transparent conditions for the international humanitarian organizations have been created in the country. At the expense of first funds from a successful oil policy founded by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, 95 modern residential complexes were built for refugees and IDPs and 250 thousand people were settled in new apartments. However the only wish of these people is to return back to their native lands. Reminding of the visits of British Parliament member Lord Russel Conston who was a chairman of PACE and other parliament members to our country and meetings of them with IDPs, Ali Hasanov expressed gratitude to the humanitarian assistance of many humanitarian organizations of this country to the IDPs in our country. Expressing gratitude for reception, British diplomat said that she would do many efforts to further expand our existing mutual cooperation in political, economic, power safety, cultural and other fields. She also mentioned that a number of works were implemented on a number of projects in various fields between two countries. Expressing her regrets that Armenia continues current status-quo, the ambassador Carol Mary Crofts stated that, world community should assist on the resolution of this conflict and Great Britain supported the resolution of conflict in peaceful way. At the meeting, the issue on providing IDP students with appropriate school supplies by the Embassy was also discussed.