UNHCR mission in Turkmenistan observed Wednesday the World Refugee Day in Ashgabat

Ms. Annika Linden, chief of the UNHCR mission, hosted a reception to draw the attention to the growing refugee problem around the globe.

In the well-attended reception the Turkmen government was represented by Serdar Ashyrov of the state service for registration of foreigners.

Ms. Linden thanked the Turkmen government for granting citizenship to thousands of refugees. She mentioned that some one hundred refugees are still in Turkmenistan whose settlement in third countries is being negotiated.

UNHCR is now spearheading the initiative to register all the non documented persons in Turkmenistan so that their status can finally be regularized.

Serdar Ashyrov reiterated the resolve of his government to continue following humanitarian policies to deal with the refugees.

The World Refugee Day reception was sponsored by BCTI Corporation, Coca Cola, Yedi Hazyna (Baltica license), President Hotel and Lufthansa.