Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Start of Joint Verification of People in the Refugees Camps in Eastern Nepal

March 28, 2001

On March 26 (Mon), a joint team from Nepal and Bhutan started verification at one of the refugee camps in Jhapa District, Nepal. The problem of refugees has been a longstanding issue between the two countries for about a decade, and the start of verification indicates a steady progress toward solving this problem. The Government of Japan welcomes this development and highly values the efforts made so far by the two countries and the international organizations concerned.
The Government of Japan has extended assistance to the refugees through the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), hoping for an early settlement of the refugee problem. The Government of Japan hopes that fair and smooth verification will be carried out, bringing this problem to an early solution.

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