Volodymyr Groysman at a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Our strategic objective is to restore territorial integrity and to bring people back to peaceful life

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman held a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

The Government of Ukraine pays considerable attention to the issue of protecting and enforcement of rights of internally displaced persons, said the Prime Minister on opening the meeting.

The Prime Minister told about the creation of the Ministry for the Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, as well as the implementation of a Comprehensive National Program for support, social adaptation and reintegration of displaced persons up to 2017 prepared and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Volodymyr Groysman noted that over 1.7 million people in Ukraine had been forced to flee their homes and move to unoccupied territory through the Russian aggression.

"Our strategic objective is to restore territorial integrity and to reintegrate these territories. It isn’t that important to integrate the territory, but it is crucial to integrate and return to peaceful life those people who are there currently," stressed the Prime Minister.

The Head of Government urged the UN Refugee Agency to deepen cooperation with the Government, in particular to increase institutional support for the responsible authorities and the effectiveness of their activities, the revitalization of work with donors to ensure "maximum consolidation of support for the resettlers".

Moreover, Volodymyr Groysman raised an issue of human rights violation in the temporarily occupied Crimea. In this regard, the Prime Minister urged the Agency to consider a possibility and to undertake a special assessment mission to the territory of Crimea.

In turn, Filippo Grandi noted that his visit happens to be the first visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to Ukraine for 20 years. In the framework of the trip he will visit the east of Ukraine to "see first-hand the state of affairs," said Filippo Grandi.

"It was important for me to come to Ukraine in the first year after my appointment as the High Commissioner as we want to assure Ukraine in our commitment to support you in the difficult humanitarian situation which occurred with IDPs. I believe that together we will be capable of finding a solution for the existing situation," stressed Filippo Grandi.

The UN High Commissioner commended the actions of the Ukrainian Government directed to settlement of the situation with the internally resettled persons in Ukraine. In particular, the Government avoided the establishment of camps for IDPs, in Ukraine the legislative framework on migrants has been effectively developed, there has been created the Ministry for the Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, he said.

"As for the issue of internally displaced persons, I am amazed by the achievements of the Government," accentuated Filippo Grandi.

The High Commissioner reminded that the UN Agency had been working in Crimea and helped the stateless persons to resume citizenship after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In this context, he expressed hope that with the support and consent of the Government the United Nations would organize such a mission to Crimea.

The Prime Minister thanked the UN Refugee Agency for its constant support for Ukraine in such challenging times for the country.

"We are open for cooperation and ready to deepen interaction,” said Volodymyr Groysman. “We are determined to ensure that humanitarian issues be addressed effectively and, most importantly, that the assistance reach the intended recipients".