International community perceives eco-rally on Azerbaijan's Lachin-Khankendi road as fair - official

By Trend

Both Azerbaijan and the international community perceive the peaceful eco-rally on the Lachin-Khankendi road as the elementary right of Azerbaijani citizens to demand stopping the illegal exploitation of the country’s natural resources, Head of the Main Department of Youth and Sports of Baku city Ragif Abbasov said, Trend reports.

Abbasov made the remark during the visit to the area of the rally being held close to post of Russian peacekeepers [temporarily deployed in Azerbaijan in accordance with trilateral statements signed between Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders on November 10, 2020 after the second Karabakh war] near Shusha.

According to him, the right to demand stopping the illegal exploitation of the natural resources is reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The official noted that the rally, which has been ongoing for the 32nd day, is exclusively peaceful, and aims to prevent the illegal export of Azerbaijan's natural resources.

“During these 32 days, the movement of vehicles with humanitarian aid, vehicles of the International Red Cross Organization and the Russian peacekeeping contingent was organized through this road. All this suggests that not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the international community, our rally is perceived fairly - we demand the realization of our right - to stop the illegal exploitation of our country's natural resources,” Abbasov emphasized.

“Moreover, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, in his interview to the Azerbaijani media, expressed his point of view and thanked the youth, which today, for the 32nd day, steadfastly demands the restoration of justice,” he added.

“I also want to thank our youth representatives, because they are on the right path, and we support the devotion to their homeland and patriotism brought up in them. I’m sure that the rally will end in favor of those demanding justice and monitoring in the liberated territories should be carried out exclusively by the state structures of Azerbaijan," Abbasov stressed.

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.