Stopping the operation of Kashen mine is not a concession, Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan said in an interview with Channel 5, answering a question whether Artsakh's stopping the operation of Kashen mine and conducting an international expertise is not a concession on its part.

"This is not a concession, it shows our readiness, we say that we are sure that we have a mine operating in accordance with the best environmental standards, secondly, if necessary, we can stop the operation, thirdly, we should understand that the road is closed and all businessmen face problems. We say we want to bring this issue to a platform where world-class specialists, not the so-called Azerbaijani environmentalists, can study and give their opinion, because this is also very important. We say we are ready for a check at the level of the UN, at the level of experts of world-class companies. If there should be any audit, let it be done at this level, but not by some people appointed by Azerbaijan who can't solve the problems in their own country," he said.

The so-called environmentalists of Azerbaijan have kept the Berdzor corridor closed for 18 days already, leaving the Republic of Artsakh in a complete blockade.

120 thousand citizens, including 30 thousand children, living in Artsakh are on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.