Friday, 13 July 2007
RA Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan received UNHCR Representative in Armenia Ms. Bushra Halepota.
The Prime Minister expressed high appreciation of the assistance and cooperation provided to the GoA on the part of the UNHCR Armenia office with the view of addressing refugee issues in Armenia. In turn, Ms. Halepota stated that the UNHCR Armenia office had enjoyed constructive and efficacious ties of cooperation with its local partners, including and especially, with the Migration Agency of RA Ministry of Territorial Administration, owing to which considerable amount of work had so far been carried out in Armenia in terms of tackling a broad range of issues relating to refugees, to begin with the settlement of housing questions through to the betterment of the legal framework applicable in the area of refugee rights protection and social standing promotion. Ms. Halepota said to be pleased with the fact that Armenia had already joined the corresponding international convention on refugees, adopted the RA Law on Refugees as early as in 1999 and, in cooperation with the UNHCR Armenia office, was working on the updated version of said law, stipulated for adoption by the Government Program.
During the meeting, Ms. Halepota briefed the Prime Minister on the past activities and future plans of the UNHCR Yerevan office and said to be looking forward to continued assistance from and close cooperation with the government in office. Mr. Sargsyan assured that his government was going to maintain and build on the existing cooperative ties in an effort to solve the multitude of diversified problems facing the vulnerable in Armenia, inclusive of refugees.
