Hikmat Hajiyev: 'Ruben Vardanyan won't be allowed to plunder Azerbaijan's natural resources'

Ruben Vardanyan, a criminal businessman, will not be allowed to plunder Azerbaijan's natural resources and cause severe damage to the environment, Hikmat Hajiyev, assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan - Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Presidential Administration, said in a meeting with the representatives of the diplomatic corps together with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Elnur Mammadov, Report informs.

Hikmat Hajiyev stressed that the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the territories of Azerbaijan should be stopped, and the exploitation of all natural resources should be carried out under the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

A protest action is being held on the part of the road under the control of Russian peacekeepers in the territory of Shusha by Azerbaijani activists and members of environmental non-governmental organizations demanding an end to ecological terrorism in the Karabakh economic region.

As a result of discussions held with the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on December 3 and 7, 2022, a team of experts from the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Service for Real Estate Affairs under the Ministry of Economy and AzerGold Closed Joint Stock Company were set to conduct preliminary monitoring regarding the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits and the resulting ecological and other consequences in the territories of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed. However, due to the inactivity of the peacekeepers, the monitoring did not take place.