Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, today in Moscow discussed the return of refugees and IDPs to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions.

The discussion was part of a larger conversation about refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and stateless persons in the world, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as various aspects of interaction of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with Russia.

The focus on Nagorno-Karabakh was based on the statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia dated November 9, 2020 on a ceasefire and all hostilities in the conflict zone.

Lavrov, according to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, pointed to the need to further mobilize the efforts of the international community to facilitate the repatriation of Syrian citizens who can make a significant contribution to the creative work to rebuild their country.

They also discussed the activities of the UNHCR in the implementation of projects aimed at assisting refugees and IDPs who’ve had to leave their homes because of the internal armed conflict in the South-East of Ukraine.