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Within the framework of his official visit to Azerbaijan, Deputy Minister for Temporary Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine George Tuka together with the delegation and representatives of the Ukrainian Embassy in Azerbaijan visited the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) and met with the IEPF President Umud Mirzaev. The purpose of this visit was to get acquainted with the work of the IEPF and its humanitarian activities.
 
The IEPF President greeted Mr. Tuka and acquainted him with the activities of the Fund. He talked about how during the last 25 years the IEPF has been actively involved in the activities aimed at civil society development and the work with refugees and internally displaced persons. Media and dissemination of objective information is also one of the key work activities of the Fund. In cooperation with international structures, United Nations bodies, foreign diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan the Fund implements various humanitarian projects.
 
Umud Mirzaev talked about the activities of the Fund and about the consequences of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which Azerbaijani people are facing since the beginning of the Armenian occupational policy in late 1980s. He described how in 1989, 270.000 Azerbaijanis who used to live in Armenia were deported, about 1.2 million of refugees and internally displaced persons appeared in Azerbaijan as a result of the conflict and about the work of the Fund in the war affected regions.
 
Last time, Ukraine actively learns from the experience of Azerbaijan in overcoming the difficulties associated with the loss of territorial integrity. Accordingly, one of the goals of the delegation's visit to Baku this time was the interest to learn from Azerbaijan's experience in the field of mine clearance.
 
All members of the delegation was very impressed by the stories about the activity of the humanitarian mine action team of the IEPF that in cooperation with the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) work in the war affected regions of Azerbaijan. George Tuka noted that Azerbaijan has good experience in working with refugees and IDPs, in development of civil society and humanitarian and social reconstruction. He noticed that since the very beginning of the conflict, international structures and the international community have not paid enough attention to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the provision of assistance to Azerbaijan.
 
At the meeting held in the IEPF office, all members of the delegation stressed the importance of the work is being done by the organization with the international status UN ECOSOC and its 25 years of experience, and noted the need to establish fruitful mutually beneficial cooperation.
 
Immediately after the meeting, the President of the International Eurasia Press Fund Umud Mirzaev together with the delegation visited the Alley of Martyrs and laid flowers. George Tuka expressed solidarity with the Azerbaijani people and honored the memory of victims of January 20 and Khojaly tragedies.
 
In addition to the Deputy Minister for Temporary Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, George Tuka, the Head of the Department for Eastern Regions Affairs Patsiy Denis and other representatives of the ministry Panshin Dimitriy and Alla Nazarenko, and a staff member of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mamed Maherremov also took part  in the meeting.
 
April 29, 2016 George Tuka was appointed as Deputy Minister for Temporary Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine. He kindly agreed to give an exclusive interview specifically for “Eurasia Diary”.