(MENAFN- AzerNews) A peaceful protest of Azerbaijani eco-activists, NGO
representatives, and ordinary people, triggered by the deep-seated
and genuine concern for the destruction and looting of the
country's natural resources by the Armenian separatists in concert
with Russian generals under the veil of peacekeepers, has entered
the third day.
The failure of the Russian military command in the region to
properly address the rightful and legitimate concerns of the
Azerbaijani protesters is the reason for the blockage of the road
from Khankandi to Lachin.
The Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh are disloyal to the
principles of peacekeeping as a whole and failed to distinguish the
crux of the mandate from their desire for enrichment at the cost of
the Azerbaijani people's natural resources.
The picket on the Khankandi-Shusha section of the road is to
call the Russian peacekeepers to responsibility and compel them to
end the brazen plundering of Azerbaijani mineral resources by
Armenian separatists and their foreign patrons.
In a similar move, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry blamed
Armenia for unfulfilling the provisions of the tripartite
statement.
We categorically reject the groundless statement of the Armenian
Foreign Ministry dated 13 December 2022, which accuses the
Azerbaijani side of the current situation on the Susa-Lacin road
and distorts the obligations under the agreements reached, the
Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
The Foreign Ministry holds Armenia responsible for the failure
to honor the articles of the November 10, 2020 peace deal.
On our part, it has been repeatedly stated, first, the
provisions of the statement of 10 November 2020, signed by the
leaders of the three countries, have not been implemented by
Armenia, in particular, contrary to paragraph 4, the Armenian armed
forces have not been withdrawn from the territory of Azerbaijan,
contrary to paragraph 6, the Lachin road is used as military
provocations, as well as for illegal economic activities, contrary
to paragraph 9, obstacles are created to open all transport
communications in the region.
As for the statements about the closure of the Lachin road and
the Armenian residents allegedly living on its territory, faced
with the threat of a humanitarian crisis, we note that the Lachin
road was closed not by Azerbaijani protesters, but by the
peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation temporarily
deployed on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
is ready to meet the humanitarian needs of all Armenian residents
living in our territories, and the claims of Armenia are
groundless.
The protest action of Azerbaijani civil society representatives
and environmental activists on the Susa-Lacin road is the result of
the justified dissatisfaction of the Azerbaijani public with
illegal economic activities, theft of natural resources, and
environmental damage in the territory of Azerbaijan, where a
contingent of Russian peacekeepers is temporarily stationed.
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Tags: protest shusha and lachin armenian separatism