Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 12
By Elena Kosolapova – Trend:
Turkmenistan is ready to step up multilateral cooperation to address all issues related to the Caspian Sea, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov said.
He made the remarks at the international conference “The policy of neutrality: International cooperation for peace, security and development” held Dec.12 in Ashgabat and dedicated the 20th anniversary of Turkmenistan's Neutrality.
“Ensuring lasting security in the Caspian Sea on the basis of equality and mutual respect of all the Caspian littoral states should become the main objective in this case,” the president said. “The Caspian Sea has always been and must remain a sea of peace, reconciliation, good neighborliness and effective international cooperation.”
Caspian states signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003.
Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998. The two countries signed a protocol to this agreement in May 2002.
Moreover, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea and a protocol to it on Nov. 29, 2001 and Feb. 27, 2003, respectively.
Additionally, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.
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