Heading to Moscow, Zarif to discuss the Caspian Sea with regional counterparts

Tabnak – In a fresh attempt to reach a consensus over the legal status of the Caspian Sea as well as the other common issues among the littoral states, foreign ministers of the Caspian region are due in Moscow for a new round of negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will be present at the meeting.

Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will take part in the meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states in Russia on December 4-5, the ministry's spokesman said on Sunday. 'At the meeting, a delegation of experts in political, legal, border and other fields will accompany FM Zarif,' Bahram Qasemi said.

At the ministerial meetings in Moscow, the content of Caspian Sea convention of Legal Status, ways of finalizing the Convention, as well as preparing the agenda and assessing the documents for the next summit will be discussed, he said.

The Caspian Sea littoral states - Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia - have been discussing a convention on the sea’s legal regime that would be a comprehensive document outlining the duties and rights of the five littoral states as well as the framework of cooperation among these countries.

Speaking in a ministerial meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states in the Kazakh capital of Astana in July 2016, the Iranian foreign minister said the sea's legal regime should guarantee that the interests of the littoral states are met in view of the geopolitical developments. He added that the legal regime of the Caspian Sea should take into account peace and security.

Meanwhile, on the Russian side, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Moscow considers the speedy agreement on text of the Convention on the Caspian Sea’s legal status as priority. “The meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan will be held for the seventh time,” says the statement.

The ministers’ attention will be focused on the Convention on the Caspian Sea’s legal status, as well as documents regulating five-way cooperation on the Caspian Sea in various fields, including the economy, transport, military navigation and others, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Among the other sides, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at a meeting of the government that the Caspian region is one of the most important geopolitical and economic centers in the Eurasian area, adding that Turkmenistan takes an active and proactive position in the negotiation process on the Caspian Sea issues and the development of the Convention on its legal status.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water by area and is variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The issue of the legal status of the Caspian Sea was given significance after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of new independent states bordering the sea.