On June 20, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan participated and delivered remarks at the World Refugee Day event organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office in Yerevan, held at the Komitas Museum-Institute.

In his remarks, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted that since gaining independence, the Republic of Armenia has recurrently confronted refugee issues. He particularly highlighted the situation in September 2023 when over 115,000 Armenians were displaced due to ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan's aggression. Furthermore, he underscored the continuous efforts of the Government of the Republic of Armenia to implement comprehensive measures in support of these refugees.

In his speech, Vahan Kostanyan also stressed that recognizing the urgency of addressing refugee needs, Armenia undertook several pledges during the 2023 World Refugee Forum. He added that numerous programs have already been initiated to fulfil these pledges.

The Deputy Minister expressed gratitude to all the partners of Armenia who extended their assistance to the forcibly displaced people.

Reference: World Refugee Day is an internationally recognized day designated by the United Nations, observed annually on June 20. It aims to raise global awareness about refugee issues. The first World Refugee Day was organised globally in 2001 marking the 50th anniversary of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, adopted in 1951.