Coastal states back speedy solution of Caspian status at Ashgabat talks
By Nigar Orujova
A special group of deputy foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran - supported an early conclusion of the work on a draft convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, at the two-day meeting held in Ashgabat, Turkmen media reported on Tuesday.
Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary reported that the parties "expressed mutual interest in the early completion of work on the final text of the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, as well as a common desire to continue to search for mutually acceptable solutions on the conceptual provisions of this basic document". It said the document is designed to be a reliable legal tool of relationship among the five littoral states "in various areas of vital activity in the Caspian Sea".
Stating the high effectiveness of the joint work done in recent years, members of the coastal nations' delegations stressed that the discussions of the Caspian Sea issues allowed bringing closer the positions of the parties and establishing constructive cooperation in the search for consensus.
The heads of the delegations emphasized the importance of continuing various consultations, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The parties also stressed the need to create new formats for communication of experts, scientists, professionals, government agencies and companies to further converge the positions and make coordinated decisions on Caspian-related issues to preserve the unique natural basin, rationally develop its rich resources and develop effective international cooperation in the Caspian region.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed agreements on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea on November 29, 2001 and February 27, 2003.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sectors of the Caspian on May 14, 2003.