Iran issues one more statement of protest against Aktau summit

The 3-day summit took place in Kazakh coastal city of Aktau with the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan attending on Sept. 11.

But, the president of Iran - which is the fifth state bordering the Caspian Sea - was not sent an invitation, leading to Tehran's irritation.

In its Friday press release, Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tehran had already protested being left out by summoning the ambassadors of all four countries and writing directly to their foreign ministers.

The statement explains that, subsequently, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has called his four counterparts and told them: "The will of the littoral states for finalizing the legal framework [of the status of the Caspian Sea] and for greater cooperation has been reflected repeatedly in the meetings of the officials of the five states, most significantly in the Tehran summit."

"The implementation of all decisions, especially the third future session in Baku demands the increased efforts of all states, especially the host (Azerbaijan)."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was not sent an invitation, which will result in irreparable misunderstandings, and open the way for unilateral actions, the statement warned.

The statement concludes with emphasizing Mottaki's hope that the wisdom of Kazakh leaders would prevent the start of sessions that consider matters requiring consensus.

Despite extensive negotiations, no agreement has been signed for the final legal status of what is in fact not a 'sea' but the largest lake in the world.