US commends Albania's offer to accept Camp Hurriya residents

The US welcomed late Monday the Albanian government's "generous" offer to accept 210 former Camp Hurriya residents, shedding light on 30 residents of the camp who departed Iraq on May 31 for permanent relocation in Albania. State Department Spokesperson, Jen Psaki, said in a statement that "the United States commends the Government of Albania's generous offer," saying "this marks the second in a series of planned moves to relocate Camp Hurriya residents to Albania" She affirmed that Albania "continues to be a strong partner of the United States in contributing to peace and stability in Iraq." She reiterated the US' call to the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) to cooperate "fully" with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) process to relocate Camp Hurriya's residents outside of Iraq "as expeditiously as possible." "The permanent relocation of the residents is essential to ensure their safety and security, especially following the February 9 terrorist attack that took eight lives," she stressed. "The United States reaffirms its strong support for the work of UNHCR, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), and especially the tireless work of UNAMI Special Representative of the Secretary General Martin Kobler, to assist and resettle Camp Hurriya residents," she remarked. She affirmed that the "safety and security of Camp Hurriya's residents remain an utmost concern," and that security requirements to protect residents "must be fulfilled in accordance with the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations and the Government of Iraq."