Azerbaijani minister: Armenia looted dozens of mineral deposits during its occupation of Karabakh

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev has said that over 50 mineral deposits in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region were looted without observing any environmental standards during the decades-long Armenian occupation.

Babayev made the statement at the opening of the International Geological and Fishing Forum in Baku on October 26, Report informs.

According to Babayev, a total of 52 out of 167 deposits were looted in Azerbaijani territories.

The liberation of the lands from occupation laid the foundation for the beginning of the restoration process and the expansion of the potential of the mining industry, he said.

The minister stressed that the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is famous for its rich natural mineral resources.

It is important to ensure the rapid integration of the region into the general economic system of the country, attract local and foreign investment and ensure economic activity, he said.

"The mining industry will occupy an important place in the economy of East Zangezur and the Karabakh economic region in the future, will make a significant contribution to the revival of the region, the creation of new jobs, and the increase in the export potential of the country," Babayev stressed.