US Ambassador To OSCE Deceived About 'Blockade' Of Lachin-Khankendi Road - Azerbaijani MFA


(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.

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Trend News Agency

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