SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, December 12. We are all here and are not going to leave tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in 10 days, Chairperson of the Social Assistance to Women Veterans of War Public Association Rade Abbas told Trend December 12.
Rade Abbas is taking part in a protest action of Azerbaijani non-government organizations (NGOs) in the zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers.
Representatives of Azerbaijani NGOs continue the protest action near the city of Shusha, close to the post of Russian peacekeepers. The protest is being held against the inadmissibility of Azerbaijani specialists to the territory, to monitor the illegal exploitation of deposits in the area.
"Our mineral deposits, in particular the Gyzylbulag gold deposit and the Demirli copper and molybdenum deposit, which are located in the zone of temporary deployment of Russian peacekeepers, are being plundered by Armenians. Azerbaijani ecologists have the right to conduct monitoring on the territory of our country. In addition, all mineral deposits must be certified. Russian peacekeepers hinder the monitoring. We've been here for over 10 hours. We demand the arrival of the commander of the Russian peacekeepers and the clarification of the issues raised," Rade Abbas said.
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, despite the group's arrival, accompanied by Russian
peacekeepers, in the monitoring area, it faced provocations in both
directions. Thus, the planned initial inspection and monitoring
didn't take place due to the fact that Russian peacekeepers not
only didn't create the necessary conditions for this but also
participated in a deliberate violation of this process.