Day 43: Vehicles pass constantly through Lachin road [VIDEO]

For 43 days back-to-back, the Azerbaijani eco-activists and representatives of NGOs have been picketing the Lachin-Khankandi road against the illicit exploitation of Azerbaijan's natural resources despite the cold weather, Azernews reports.

The road continues to remain open, allowing free passage of vehicles, despite the claims of "blockade" and "humanitarian crisis". Just today, a total of 13 trucks, two military vehicles, ten supply vehicles, and one passenger car of Russian peacekeepers have driven along the Lachin-Khankandi road, passing near Shusha, without any problem. Besides, five vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have also passed through the road twice. After moving from Khankandi in the Lachin direction this morning, the vehicles traveled backward. They delivered medicines, baby food, and diapers to Khankandi city.

Conditions for the passage of 18 vehicles have been created this morning.

Following discussions with the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on December 3 and 7, 2022, Azerbaijani specialists from the Ministries of Economy, Ecology, and Natural Resources, the State Service for Property Issues under the Ministry of Economy, and AzerGold Company were to conduct primary monitoring on illegal exploitation of mineral deposits on Azerbaijani territory. However, the monitoring failed due to the provocation of ethnic Armenians.

After the Russian peacekeepers' failure to provide the necessary conditions for the Azerbaijani agency representatives to carry out their duties in the area, a group of eco-activists, NGOs, and public representatives have taken to the street in protest at the peacekeepers' repugnance to live up to their obligations in line with the November 10, 2020, peace deal to maintain peace and order in the region, and oust the Armenian troops from the region and prevent illegalities. However, time proved that the Russian peacekeepers are driven by the interests of Russia rather than the idea coming from the essence of the notion of peacekeeping as universally understood.