Assa-Irada,
17, April 2008

Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan - have struck some progress on determination of the sea's legal status.

The conclusion is made in a final declaration passed at the two-day meeting of the five countries' diplomats in Tehran that completed on Wednesday.

Some changes were introduced to the draft convention on the Caspian status being developed by the joint taskforce.

Deputy foreign ministers of the five countries attended the meeting. Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov represented Azerbaijan at the discussions.

The sides agreed in Tehran that the next meeting of the taskforce will be held in Baku. Diplomatic representations of the coastal nations are now expected to set its timing. The issue of Caspian sea-bed division remains unresolved to this day. Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan have already signed bilateral agreements to that end, but Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan have yet to iron out their differences.

Khalafov told a local TV channel that Tehran has regarded the talks as productive. He said the parties had a broad exchange of views on the outcomes of last year's Tehran summit and enforcing the adopted decisions. Also mulled were the summit due in Baku and preparations for the coastal nations' economic conference to be held in Astrakhan this year. Khalafov said that during the discussions on the draft convention, the sides mooted environmental issues, setting maritime regulations and rules of fishing.

He termed the convention as "a broad-aspect legal document" outling all types of activities, rights and cooperation principles regarding the Caspian Sea.

"Agreeing the document determining the Caspian status will open up broad oppotunities for coastal nations in the fields of using the basin's natural resources, hydrometeorlogy, fishing and navigation," the deputy minister said.