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Sabina Mammadli

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Amid biting cold and blizz of a snowstorm, the open-ended picketing of the Khankandi-Lachin road near Shusha by Azerbaijani eco-activists enters the 64th day today, Azernews reports.

As throughout the last two months, today too, all means of transport continue to pass through the road freely. Thus, when this report was in writing, a convoy of thirty-two trucks and two passenger cars of Russian peacekeepers passed through the road. Besides, a convoy of five passenger cars and one truck of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) drove in both directions.

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.

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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl

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