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Rena Murshud

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Representatives of the diaspora of Azerbaijan abroad supported the Azerbaijanis in their protest on the Khankandi-Shusha road, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with the Diaspora.

"We, Azerbaijanis living abroad, express our support for the protest action held by representatives of numerous non-governmental organizations operating in Azerbaijan demanding an end to the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Azerbaijani territories, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, as well as the environmental tension that has developed in the region," the statement says.

The statement claims that Azerbaijanis who reside abroad are extremely concerned about the situation.

"Environmental protection is the duty of every person, regardless of nationality. We are seriously concerned about the tense environmental situation in the territories under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent temporarily stationed in our homeland - Azerbaijan," representatives of the diaspora said.

The report also says that the environmental damage inflicted on the liberated territories of Azerbaijan is directly related to hatred towards Azerbaijanis, in other words, Azerbaijanophobia.

"Against the backdrop of climate change and the reduction of water resources, which are of serious concern at the international level, we come to the conclusion that the actions of a group of criminals that cause systemic damage to the environment in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan are dictated by ethnic hatred towards Azerbaijanis - Azerbaijanophobia. We believe that the creation by the Russian peacekeeping contingent temporarily deployed in these territories of the conditions for illegal activities and its inability to prevent systemic environmental terror serves as an indicator that the command of the peacekeepers was under the influence of a group of criminal oligarchs," the statement explains.

Representatives of the diaspora demand the creation of conditions for environmental activists to monitor the liberated territories. If their demands are not met, they have assured a prolonged continuation of the protests.

"We, Azerbaijanis living abroad, joining the just cause of our compatriots, demand that conditions be created for Azerbaijani environmental activists to conduct regular inspections of the Gyzylbulag gold mine, Damirli copper-molybdenum deposit, and other deposits, ensuring the safety of environmental activists to investigate the illegal exploitation of natural resources and related environmental consequences in the Azerbaijani territories, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed," the statement reads.

"Until our demands are met, Azerbaijanis living abroad, demonstrating solidarity with our compatriots, will regularly hold support actions,” the statement concluded.

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 provocation.

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