Azernews.Az

A major rapprochement is observed in the positions of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, an issue disputed by the littoral states since the Soviet collapse in 1991, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said while commenting on two-day talks on the issue in Ashgabat.
Khalafov, who represented Azerbaijan in the negotiations, said his government hoped for further progress in talks.
The discussions of the inter-governmental taskforce held last week focused on the determination of the medium line in the Caspian, a basin with huge hydrocarbon reserves and valuable caviar stocks.
"The broad exchange with our Turkmen counterparts enables a conclusion that the sides have reached a common ground on a number of issues. The talks will be continued in Baku in the second half of January," Khalafov said.
He added that both countries' views on the delineation of the sea-bed dwelled upon existing international legal experience.
Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan have already signed bilateral agreements on the Caspian status. But Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have divergent views. Iran insists that the status be determined based on the agreements it signed with the USSR decades ago.