(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Sabina Mammadli read more The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry called on the UN Population
Fund to be impartial and refrain from actions and statements that
would harm the reputation of the organization, Azernews reports per
the ministry.
In a statement addressed to the UN Population Fund, the ministry
noted that the organization's“biased, misguiding and
out-of-mandate” statement of January 24 on the situation around the
Lachin road is“surprising and regrettable”.
The ministry outlined how it is unacceptable for the UNPF to
issue a statement on the legitimate protest of Azerbaijanis while
failing to express views about the plight of hundreds of thousands
of Azerbaijani families, who, as a result of Armenia's military
aggression against Azerbaijan, were displaced from their homes for
30 years, lived in tent camps for years, abandoned train cars,
camps in an environment with unhealthy conditions, deprived of
education, healthcare, and all other rights.
It was emphasized that peaceful protests on the Lachin road, a
sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, with the demand to prevent the
illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan's natural resources, the
transportation of these resources from Azerbaijan to Armenia, and
the abuse of the Lachin road, which is intended only for
humanitarian purposes, is the legitimate right of the Azerbaijani
people.
“Illegal activities in the places of compact settlement of
Armenian residents in the territories of Azerbaijan are a threat to
the national security of Azerbaijan, and it is of utmost importance
to stop such activities. In this regard, in accordance with the
Trilateral Statement dated November 10, 2020, Azerbaijan shall
guarantee the safety of citizens, vehicles, and goods traveling
along the Lachin road in both directions. The security guarantee
also includes the prevention of abuse of the Lachin road,” the
statement said.
Besides, the statement reiterated that no obstacles are being
created by the protesters to the movement of vehicles and residents
on the Lachin road, adding that over 1,000 vehicles have provided
the residents with essential goods, medical supplies, and necessary
medical services using the road. It was stressed that the claims of
protests causing a“humanitarian catastrophe” in the region are
baseless, as the Azerbaijani government has repeatedly stated that
it is ready to promptly resolve all humanitarian needs that
Armenian residents may require.
“Despite these, the people who present themselves as“leaders”
of the Armenian residents continue to use the local population as a
shield and prevent their freedom of movement in order to continue
their illegal activities,” the ministry finalized.
The peaceful protests on the Lachin-Khankandi road have been
going on for over forty days.
Following discussions with the command of the Russian
peacekeeping contingent on December 3 and 7, 2022, Azerbaijani
specialists from the Ministries of Economy, Ecology, and Natural
Resources, the State Service for Property Issues under the Ministry
of Economy, and AzerGold Company were to conduct primary monitoring
on illegal exploitation of mineral deposits on Azerbaijani
territory. However, the monitoring failed due to the provocation of
ethnic Armenians.
After the Russian peacekeepers' failure to provide the necessary
conditions for the Azerbaijani agency representatives to carry out
their duties in the area, a group of eco-activists, NGOs, and
public representatives have taken to the street in protest at the
peacekeepers' repugnance to live up to their obligations in line
with the November 10, 2020, peace deal to maintain peace and order
in the region, and oust the Armenian troops from the region and
prevent illegalities. However, time proved that the Russian
peacekeepers are driven by the interests of Russia rather than the
idea coming from the essence of the notion of peacekeeping as
universally understood.
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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews' staff journalist, follow her on
Twitter: @sabinammdl