Two cars of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have freely passed in the morning along Azerbaijan’s Lachin-Khankendi road [near Shusha, close to the area of Russian peacekeepers' temporary deployment], where the peaceful protests of Azerbaijanis have been going on for the thirteenth day, from Khankendi towards Lachin, AzVision.az reports.

This once again indicates that humanitarian vehicles pass freely through the territory where the peaceful protest rally of representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of Azerbaijan is being held.

The representatives of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations have been peacefully protesting against the inadmissibility of Azerbaijani specialists to the territory, to monitor the illegal exploitation of deposits in the area of stationing the peacekeepers.

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.

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