The group of five Caspian states failed in
their recent Moscow meeting to reach consensus on a convention
defining the legal status of the Caspian Sea, postponing further
discussions on the issue to a meeting which is due to be held in
Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan on September 8-9, IRNA reported from Tehran.
Speaking on the outcome of the 10th meeting of the special working
group of representatives from Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and
Turkmenistan (Moscow, July 22-24), Mehdi Safari, Iran's Foreign
Ministry official and special envoy in charge of Caspian Affairs Mehdi
Safari told IRNA here on Monday that discussions on the settlement of
the legal status of the Caspian Sea had been fruitful and held in good
atmosphere.
Safari, however, admitted there had been differences among the
participants in the meeting.
He said Tehran insisted on such issues as sovereignty, free
shipping, fisheries, exploitation of underwater resources, security
problems and demilitarization of the land-locked sea.
He added that Iran does not agree to bilateral or trilateral
agreements, reached among some of the states.
The official said the states, however, will try to hold five-way
meetings, believing that bilateral or trilateral agreements are not
valid.
Safari said all the five states have agreed on a convention on
protecting the sea's environment. He added that the convention is to
be signed during a meeting in Tehran in November.
He added that the only difference among the members is the
secretariat of the convention and its location.
Tehran is seeking a consensus with regard to the solution of the
Caspian Sea Status problem, believing that 'the wealth of the Caspian
Sea must be divided in all fairness'.
Safari said the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea
covers all possible questions.
On the basis of this, he added, agreements must be worded in a
manner that they will govern different aspects of cooperation in the
Caspian Sea.
The official said it is natural that all five states proceed from
the fact that their interests must be taken into account and that is
why they are seeking the inclusion of their proposals in the
convention.
Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan have been
attempting to divide their access to the resource-rich sea since
shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan want to calculate the division
in proportion to the length of the five Caspian countries' coastlines,
while Iran and Turkmenistan have insisted each country get an equal 20
percent share.
The five Caspian states have signed a series of bilateral accords
among themselves agreeing on how to divide up the sea, but have failed
to conclude a wide-reaching agreement.
... Payvand News - 7/28/03 ... --
