SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, December 23. Representatives of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue their peaceful protests in Karabakh, close to the Russian peacekeepers' temporary deployment area, Trend reports from the scene.
A total of 11 supply vehicles of Russian peacekeepers have recently passed freely along the Lachin road. This is clear evidence that the Azerbaijani peaceful protesters didn’t block the Lachin road, as the Armenian side is trying to present.
The peaceful protests of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations (NGOs) against the inadmissibility of Azerbaijani specialists to the territory, to monitor the illegal exploitation of deposits in the area, have been held near Shusha, close to the post of peacekeepers.
Previously, following the negotiations 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 on December 10, was going to begin the preliminary monitoring in accordance with the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits, as well as the emerging environmental and other consequences of this on the territory of Azerbaijan.
It was planned to inspect the environmental conditions 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. 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.
