Ashgabat, Astana eye co-op in Caspian Sea

By Trend

Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met in Ashgabat with Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Ashikbayev to mull issues of cooperation in the Caspian Sea, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message on May 1.

The sides discussed topical issues of water problem in Central Asia such as rescue of the Aral Sea, as well as cooperation within framework of the five-sided cooperation in the Caspian Sea, the ministry said.

The interaction of the two countries within authoritative international structures, primarily the UN, was cited as an example of a constructive and fruitful partnership in a multilateral format.

The ministry further said that Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan share common concerns of the international community related to terrorism, attempts to spread extremist ideology in the region, activities of criminal groups engaged in illicit drug trafficking and other illegal activities.

In this regard, the sides voiced readiness to continue joint work both in bilateral and multilateral formats to counter these challenges.

The Caspian Sea is the Earth's largest inland body of water. Its waters wash the coastlines of five sovereign states – Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.