Illegal Exploitation Of Mineral Resources, Mine Terror In Azerbaijan Must Be Stopped - Peaceful Protester

SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, December 19. The main goal of participation in the peaceful rally [on Azerbaijan's Lachin road near Shusha] is the demand to put an end to the illegal exploitation of mineral resources by Armenians and eco-terror in the territory of Azerbaijan, temporarily controlled by Russian peacekeepers, an employee of the International Eurasian Press Foundation, who suffered from mine terror, Zabil Mammadov said at the rally on December 19, trend reports from the scene.

Demanding the Armenians to stop environmental and mine terror, Mammadov spoke about the numerous deaths and injuries from the explosions of mines planted by the Armenians.

“Armenia is installing mine explosives on the territory of Azerbaijan, especially where civilians are engaged in sowing activities,” he noted.

“We ask all international structures, states of the world to assist in stopping the Armenian mine terror,' the peaceful protester added.

The representatives of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations have been peacefully protesting close to the post of peacekeepers against the inadmissibility of Azerbaijani specialists to the territory, to monitor the illegal exploitation of deposits in the area of stationing the peacekeepers.

Previously, following the talks with the Russian peacekeepers' command on December 3 and 7, 2022, a group of experts from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Property Service under the Ministry of Economy, and AzerGold CJSC were going to begin preliminary monitoring of the illicit mineral resource exploitation, as well as emerging environmental implications on Azerbaijani lands, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed, on December 10, 2022.

The expert team was expected to inspect the environmental condition at the 'Gizilbulagh' gold deposit and the 'Damirli' copper-molybdenum deposit, monitor various areas, organize cadastral property records, assess potential risks and threats to the environment, as well as to underground and surface water sources.

However, when arriving in the monitoring area, the expert group, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers, faced provocations. The planned initial inspection and monitoring did not take place due to the fact that the Russian peacekeepers not only did not create necessary conditions but also prevented for the entire process to carry on.

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