Azernews.Az

ASHGABAT - Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has said his country was opposed to "politicizing" the unresolved legal status of the Caspian Sea.

"We are fundamentally opposed to politicizing any outstanding issues on the Caspian Sea. In particular, delimitation of the seabed and subsoil of the Caspian is a legal issue that must be resolved exclusively in the legal realm and in accordance with international norms," Berdymukhamedov told the Turkmen media.

Berdymukhamedov said Ashgabat therefore takes the issue "out of the brackets of our relations with the Caspian states", with each of whom it has developed extensive cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian fields and as part of future projects covering transport, energy, shipbuilding, shipping and communications.

"We intend to further build and expand this cooperation as it serves common interests, opens up excellent opportunities for progress and well-being of the nations of the Caspian states," Berdymukhamedov said.

According to him, all five littoral states understand that the Caspian basin is a strategically important region, and establishing full-fledged cooperation here meets their long-term interests. He said the negotiating process among the coastal nations "builds on this very common denominator".

"If we speak in political terms, I would assess it as generally constructive. The negotiating parties respect each other’s opinions and comprehend the concerns being expressed. Certainly, there are differences in approaches, but they are not deciding factors capable of influencing the overall atmosphere of the relationships among our countries."

Berdymukhamedov said Turkmenistan's position on the Caspian status "is very balanced and responsible".

"We are committed to continued engagement with partners in different formats in terms of constructive dialogue, respect and equality," he added.

The status of the basin has been unresolved for nearly a decade. Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement in 2001 on the delineation of the Caspian’s northern area into national sectors, with Azerbaijan and Russia each possessing 19%, while the Central Asian state received 29%. However, Azerbaijan faces a long-standing dispute with Turkmenistan over the offshore Kapaz (Sardar) field. The issue also remains to be agreed with another coastal state – Iran, which supports equal division of the basin and claims rights to the Alov field in the Caspian.