“The Azerbaijani side has repeatedly addressed the command of the peacekeeping contingent with requests to prevent the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the territories of Azerbaijan where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, as well as to eliminate the consequences of its detrimental environmental impact. In many cases there was no response to these appeals of the Azerbaijani side, and the peacekeeping contingent has not taken any action to prevent the illegal exploitation of natural resources of Azerbaijan,” said Aykhan Hajizade, head of the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.
According to information received by Azerbaijan, Hajizade said, there has been an increase in the illegal exploitation and plundering of natural resources, as well as a deterioration of environmental impacts in particular at the Gizilbulag gold mine and the Demirli copper-molybdenum deposit.
“Since December 3 of this year, talks have been held between representatives of the relevant government agencies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian peacekeeping contingent to determine the methods of the visit to and monitoring of the territory by Azerbaijani specialists. Despite the attempts of representatives of Azerbaijan on December 10 to visit, in accordance with the agreement reached, these two areas where minerals are being illegally extracted, the visit was obstructed. With no action taken by the Russian peacekeeping contingent, the visit was hindered by a pre-planned protest by local residents.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan sent a corresponding note to the Russian side regarding this situation.”
