The Supervisory Board of the Agency for State Support of Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan has addressed an appeal to international organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations.

Baku

December 16, 2022

"We bring to your attention that as a result of discussions held with the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and a group of specialists from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Committee on Property Issues of the Republic of Azerbaijan and AzerGold CJSC on December 3 and 7, 2022, an agreement was reached to conduct preliminary monitoring in connection with the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits in the territories of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, as well as environmental and other consequences arising from this.

However, the command of the peacekeepers grossly violated the agreement reached on December 10, 2022, and created an obstacle to the monitoring, owing to which the monitoring did not take place.

Non-governmental organizations, environmentalists and civil society activists of Azerbaijan, in protest against these actions of Russian peacekeepers, as well as the illegal exploitation and plunder of our country's natural resources, especially gold and copper deposits, and the commission of environmental terrorism in these territories, hold a peaceful action on the Khankendi-Lachin road which lasts 5 days.

The demand of the participants of the action is quite simple: to put an end to the illegal exploitation and plunder of the natural resources of Azerbaijan; stop ecological terrorism committed in these territories and create conditions for monitoring these territories!

In addition, on December 14, as a result of an explosion of a mine buried underground in the territory of Kalbajar, liberated from the occupation committed by the armed forces of Armenia, 7 of our compatriots were injured and 1 soldier died, which led to the enhancement of the demands of the protesters.

Currently, the country's NGOs are demanding to put an end to the illegal transportation of weapons and ammunition and military formations to the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan along the Lachin road from Armenia, the removal of our national resources from the country, and the mine terrorism.

Unfortunately, Armenia and the Armenian lobby are deliberately trying to distort the nature of the peaceful action of Azerbaijani NGOs, mislead the international community in order to avoid responsibility, and wage a campaign of lies and slander about the events that took place on the Khankendi-Lachin road.

The political leadership of Armenia and the Armenian separatists send false appeals to international organizations and foreign countries, alleging that the participants of the action block the Lachin road and stop the supply of natural gas, organize a blockade of Armenians living in Khankendi and adjacent areas, and expose them to a humanitarian catastrophe or ethnic cleansing.

We declare with all responsibility that this information has no basis, all of them are lie and slander.

In response to this lie, we also bring to your attention that NGOs and environmentalists did not create any restrictions on the free movement of vehicles and people along the Lachin road, a clear example of which is the free movement of vehicles of Russian peacekeepers and humanitarian supplies.

There are no problems with providing the Armenians living in Karabakh with natural gas and food, as they themselves admit it today. In addition, the Azerbaijani state stated that it was ready to meet all the needs of citizens of Armenian origin living in this territory.

Such an unjustified reaction by the political leadership of Armenia to the legitimate demands of NGOs protected by civil and international humanitarian law, such as stopping the illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan's natural resources and environmental terrorism and monitoring these territories, as well as an attempt to manipulate international public opinion, is unacceptable, and the organization of such a smear campaign indicates their intention to evade responsibility.

We believe that Armenia should renounce its territorial claims against Azerbaijan, fulfill all the points of the Trilateral Statement signed on November 10, 2020, in particular, withdraw the remainder of its illegal armed forces from Azerbaijan, stop the illegal exploitation of natural resources and put an end to environmental terrorism.

As the Supervisory Board of the Agency for State Support of Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, we appeal to all international organizations, non-governmental organizations of foreign countries involved in environmental and ecological protection, including Armenian NGOs, and call on them to support the reasonable demands put forward by Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations".

Signed by:

Guliyev Azay Ajdar oglu - Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Chairman of the "International Cooperation Center” Public Union

Allahveranov Azer Karim oglu – Member of the Supervisory Board, Chairman of the "Eurasian Migration Initiatives Platform” Public Union

Isgandarov Israyil Isa oglu - Member of the Supervisory Board, Chairman of the "Umid” Support for Social Development Public Union

Ibrahimov Zaur Ibrahim oglu - Member of the Supervisory Board, Chairman of the "Priority” Socio-Economic Research Center

Mehdiyev Nuraddin Saftar oglu - Member of the Supervisory Board, Chairman of the "Virtual Karabakh" Information Communication Technologies Youth Public Union

Orujov Ilgar Najibaddin oglu - Member of the Supervisory Board, Chairman of the "Azerbaijan Society of Young Scientists, Postgraduates and Masters” Public Union

Safarova Gunel Maharram gizi - Member of the Supervisory Board, Chairman of the "Citizen” Research and Development Public Union”

Source: AZERBAIJAN STATE NEWS AGENCY