Azerbaijani NGOs urge EITI to take action against companies illegally operating in Karabakh

Baku/12.07.21/Turan: On July 10, within the framework of the international Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) the coalition of Azerbaijani NGOs adopted a statement on the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

“As a result of journalistic investigations, it was found that private companies of citizens of Argentina, Australia, Great Britain, France, Iran, USA, Russia, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, UAE, China, Lithuania, Lebanon, Greece, Uruguay, India, Canada and other countries, together with Armenia and the separatist regime, created in the occupied territories enterprises for the development of natural resources."

In total, companies from over 20 countries of the world operated in the occupied territories. Over the past 12 years, they have invested $ 500 million in Karabakh. In October last year, the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan declared the heads of 6 companies and 12 persons on the international wanted list.

“When Azerbaijan regularly raises this issue, the states, whose citizens operate in Karabakh, deny these facts, or try to absolve themselves of responsibility. They state that the development of resources is carried out by private companies and not by the state. However, these companies pay taxes to the budgets of their states,” the document says.

In accordance with the EITI strategy, companies are required to enter into an agreement with an official government entity for the extraction of natural resources.

The 1949 Geneva Convention prohibits mining in the areas occupied for a long time as a result of conflict and whose actual status is not clear. The occupying power has no legal authority to exploit any natural resources or property in the occupied territories.

The EITI Coalition calls on the international secretariat of the coalition and other intergovernmental and international human rights organizations to take appropriate legal action against companies that have worked and continue to work illegally in the Azerbaijani territories.

The following companies have been named among such companies: “Canadian First Dynasty Mines Ltd” (Canada), “GeoProMining Ltd” (Russia) and a subsidiary of “GPM Gold”, American companies “Global Gold Armenian Ltd”, “Geologix Group”, “Rodino Haskovo” JIC, “Centro Ceibal”, “Deccan Gold Mines Ltd”, “Indian Sterlite Gold Ltd”, “Cosmote Romanian Mobile Telecommunications SA” and other companies.

The coalition includes 52 Azerbaijani NGOs. — 06D-