SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, January 12. A peaceful rally of Azerbaijan’s non-governmental organizations (NGO) on the Lachin-Khankendi road close to the Russian peacekeepers temporarily deployed area near Shusha has been going on for over a month, Trend reports from the scene.
Conditions were created for the free passage of two vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) along the Lachin-Khankendi road passing near Shusha. In addition, Russian peacekeepers followed this road on foot.
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.
