SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, March 12. The peaceful
protest of Azerbaijani eco-activists on the Lachin-Khankendi road,
passing near Shusha, continues, Trend reports from the scene.
Despite the adverse weather conditions, the rally participants
continue to protest against Armenia’s illicit mineral resource
exploitation.
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, the expert group, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers,
faced provocations when arriving in the monitoring area. 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 the entire process from
carrying on.