Day 78: Foreign media reps visit protests scene on Lachin road

By Azernews

Sabina Mammadli

Day 78 of the ongoing picketing of the Khankandi-Lachin road near Shusha continues with high-spirited slogans such as "Stop eco-terror!", "No ecocide!".

According to Azernews, throughout the day, 42 vehicles of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have driven along the road.

During the day, representatives of foreign media visited Azerbaijan's Shusha, where the Azerbaijani eco-activists are currently holding the picket, and got acquainted with the demands of participants.

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.