Iran hopes convention on security will be adopted at Caspian littoral countries' summit in Baku

"We hope that the convention on security in the Caspian Sea, discussed in Baku at the level of deputy foreign ministers, will be approved at the Summit of the Heads of Caspian littoral countries on November 18. We think that the current process testifies about an increase in mutual understanding between countries," Mohammad Mehdi Akhundzadeh, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, the Iranian president's special representative on Caspian Sea Issues, said.

On Monday Baku hosts a meeting of Deputy Foreign Ministers of the five Caspian littoral countries to agree a draft agreement on security cooperation in the Caspian Sea.

"To ensure security in the Caspian Sea must be the responsibility of Caspian littoral countries," Iranian Deputy Minister said.

The coastal countries signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003.

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern Caspian Sea to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998 and Protocol to the Agreement in May 2002.

The agreement was signed between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea and the appropriate protocol on November 29, 2001 and February 27, 2003.

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the junction point of the delimitation of the contiguous sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.


/Trend/