Azernews.Az

By Vafa Ismayilova

Yerevan has sold the regional ecological security out to foreigners, Azerbaijani MP Rasim Musabayav has told Day.az.

He made the remarks to comment on the catastrophic pollution of the transboundary Okhchuchay River with wastes from the Zangazur (Gajaran) copper-molybdenum plant.

“Yerevan actually sold out the ecological safety of reservoirs, originating in Armenia and flowing to Azerbaijan, to a foreign investor,” he said.

The MP underlined that Western companies are very sensitive to environmental issues when it comes to their own states. But, working in third countries, they forget about environmental standards and think only about how to increase income.

“Everything depends on the will of the authorities of the host countries and on how much they care about the state of the national ecosystem. As you can see, in Armenia, the authorities do not care about environmental protection, no less than the German company operating the Kajaran mine,” he said.

It should be noted that the study of the water of the Okhchuchay River, carried out in January-June by the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry revealed that the copper, molybdenum, manganese, iron, zinc, chromium and heavy metals in the samples taken several times exceed the norm. Since 2004, the German company Cronimet Mining has been holding a controlling stake in the enterprise.

Musbayov added that the river flowed through the so-called grey zone, that is, through previously occupied territories, where no laws were in force.

It is clear that an ugly, catastrophic ecological situation has developed there, which has affected not only Okhchuchay, but also other water bodies.

He noted that the Armenian invaders were cutting down forests on the occupied lands, and growing narcotic plants in tons.

“That is, it was a zone of lawlessness. Today, when the lands are liberated, it is necessary to raise this issue at the international level, to launch a campaign in the world, including the German media, to draw attention to the problem of international environmental organizations. And when everything is documented and substantiated, you need to file claims,” he said.

The MP noted that for the German economy and business giants, the materials in the Azerbaijani media are not so important, but lawsuits and campaigns in the Western media, as well as the reaction of international environmental structures, can bring them to their senses.

“And for Armenia, we will select other levers of pressure so that such outrages are stopped. This is a double-edged issue, and Armenia is not immune from a tough reaction from Azerbaijan,” Musbayov noted.

Armenia’s three-decade occupation of Azerbaijani territories extensively damaged the ecosystem, wildlife and natural resources in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenians also resorted to large-scale acts of ecological terror in regions they had to leave under the trilateral November peace deal that stipulated the return of Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.

The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan escalated for the second time in 2020 after Armenia's forces deployed in the occupied Azerbaijani lands targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, causing casualties among civilians and the military. In the early hours of September 27, Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation that lasted six weeks. The operation resulted in the liberation of Azerbaijan's occupied lands.

A Russia-brokered ceasefire deal that Azerbaijan and Armenia signed on November 10, 2020, brought an end to the 44-day war between the two countries. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied.

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