(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 7. Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has commented on the concern of the
US about Azerbaijan allegedly 'blocking' Azerbaijan's
Lachin-Khankendi road, trend reports.
As Michael Carpenter, US Ambassador to OSCE, stated in his
Twitter publication, the US remains concerned about the Lachin road
being allegedly 'blocked' for over three weeks, 'creating a grave
humanitarian situation'.
'We thank the International Committee of the Red Cross for
providing critical aid during this time, but call on Azerbaijan and
Russia to restore access immediately,' he added.
Aykhan Hajizada, Spokesperson of the Azerbaijani MFA, has
responded to Carpenter, saying that 'it is unfortunate that the
ambassador is deceived by false narrative on 'blockade' and
'humanitarian situation', at the same time asking the ambassador,
'why is it okay to use the road for all sorts of illegal
activities, but protesting against is not appropriate?'.
He has also rightly pointed out that, if the Lachin-Khankendi
road had been closed, no vehicle would have passed it.
At the same time, more than 20 vehicles belonging to the Russian
peacekeepers have passed along the Lachin-Khankendi road just
yesterday.
Armenian media has been spreading disinformation that
Azerbaijani activists allegedly blocked the Lachin-Khankendi road
and don't let supply vehicles through.
Meanwhile, representatives of Azerbaijani non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) have been peacefully protesting near Shusha,
close to the Russian peacekeepers' temporary deployment area, for
the seventeenth day. A peaceful protest is being held against the
inadmissibility of Azerbaijani specialists to the territory, to
monitor the illicit exploitation of the country's mineral
resources.
Previously, following the talks with the Russian peacekeepers'
command on December 3 and 7, 2022, a group of experts from the
Azerbaijani 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.