On January 19, the statement of Iceland's Foreign Minister, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir (Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir) about the situation around the Lachin road is regrettable, which does not reflect the realities on the ground.

This was reported to APA by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It was noted that this kind of attitude to the peaceful protests on the Lachin road with the demand to prevent the illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan's mineral deposits, their illegal transportation to Armenia and the abuse of the Lachin road, which is intended only for humanitarian purposes, is incomprehensible.

Protests against illegal economic and military activities on the territory of Azerbaijan are the right of Azerbaijani citizens and should be respected.

Such statements do not contribute to peace and tranquility in the region and lead to increased tension.

As mentioned in the previous statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the claims that the "closure" of the Lachin road and the "humanitarian disaster" in the region are unfounded.

During the past period, the convoys of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), about 800 vehicles, including Armenian emergency medical vehicles, passed through the road without any obstacles, once again proving that the road is not closed.

In addition, there are no barriers to the supply of goods for the use of local residents or the provision of necessary medical services.

Also, as we have repeatedly stated, the government of Azerbaijan is ready to promptly resolve all humanitarian needs that Armenian residents may face.

The deplorable humanitarian situation of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who were displaced from their homes by the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the war crimes of Armenia that clearly violated international humanitarian law, the 282 Azerbaijanis who became victims of landmines after the Patriotic War, and the abuse of the Lachin road in our territories in 2021 Armenia The lack of response to mine threats and other illegal activities by placing mines in production raises questions.

This is again indicative of a double standard and a selective approach.

We call on the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to be impartial, to refrain from actions and statements that would harm peace and tranquility in the region.