OIC condemns exploitation of Azerbaijan's natural resources by separatists in Karabakh
Sabina Mammadli
Read moreThe General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the illegal exploitation of natural resources by ethnic Armenian separatists in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh, Azernews reports.
The General Secretariat urged all matters of dispute to be resolved through dialogue and highly commended Azerbaijan's efforts in this regard.
“Exploitation of mineral deposits without due regard to environmental standards is not only a breach of international law and the national legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, but is also a source of serious and legitimate concern,” the statement said.
Recalling the resolution, adopted by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers at its 48th session in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 22-23 March 2022, the General Secretariat further called for the normalization of relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual recognition of and respect for each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and internationally recognized borders.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations, with a membership of 57 states, covering four continents. The OIC is the collective voice of the Muslim world to ensure and safeguard their interest in economic, socio-and-political areas. The OIC has Institutions, which implement its programs.
To recap, 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 CJSC 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. The peaceful protest that started on December 12, 2022, continues up to today and marks Day 30.
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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl
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