Baku, Oct 31, Itar-Tass/ACSNA/IRNA -- The groups of experts of the
five Caspian countries on the Caspian legal status will have a meeting
on November 19-20 in Baku, Halaf Halafov, the Azeri deputy foreign
minister told reporters.
The meeting will aim for the drafting of the general convention on
the Caspian legal status, he said.
All proposals of the littoral countries on these problems will be
discussed In Baku. Halafov does not think the experts' meeting in Baku
will be the last one of this kind. "Experts will go on working until
all the aspects of the Caspian legal status are coordinated." Halafov
said.
Halafov believes the Russia-Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan,
Russia-Azerbaijan agreements on the Caspian are no obstacle but rather
aim for reaching the general agreement on the Caspian among the five
countries.
He is also convinced that having signed bilateral agreements with
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, Russia will continue to be an active
participant in the negotiating process. "What has been decided about
the Caspian bed is not final. There are many other aspects to the
problem that still need to be coordinated," Halafov said.
Dwelling on the Russia-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan trilateral agreement,
he said, "This is a technical rather than a political or legal
document."
He also said that when there is an opportunity the experts of the
three countries would coordinate details of the joint agreement which
will then be ready for the signing.
Regarding the Azeri-Iranian dialogue on the Caspian, Halafov said,
'each meeting of the experts of the two countries is a positive step
toward arrangements'.
"The negotiating mechanism between Azerbaijan and Iran is a
positive factor that will enable us to resolve the problem. There is
nothing to hinder consensus on the Caspian," he said.