On 5 December 2023, a meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caspian littoral states took place in Moscow.
The meeting was attended by:
- Azerbaijan – Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov
- Iran – Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian
- Kazakhstan – Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu
- Russia – Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov
- Turkmenistan – Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov
Following the meeting, a joint statement was adopted.
Statement by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caspian Littoral States
(unofficial translation)
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan,
Emphasizing the importance of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea of 12 August 2018,
based on the principles of the activities of coastal States in the Caspian Sea and the decisions of the Caspian summits:
1. In order to finalize the draft Agreement on the Methodology for Establishing Direct Baselines in the Caspian Sea as soon as possible, the High-level Working Group on Caspian Sea Issues is instructed to maximize the frequency of meetings, if possible, at least once a quarter during 2024.
2. Note the need to intensify the negotiation process in order to finalize the following five-party draft agreements:
on agreed confidence-building measures in the field of military activities in the Caspian Sea;
cooperation in search and rescue in the Caspian Sea;
in the field of marine scientific research;
in the field of maritime transport;
protocols to the Agreement on Security Cooperation of 18 November 2010 on combating illegal fishing of aquatic biological resources (poaching);
illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors and safety of navigation.
3. Welcome the adoption of the final documents of the Sixth Session of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention), as well as the agreement on the establishment of an ad hoc expert group tasked with expediting the preparation of draft documents outlining the organization, recruitment, and operational procedures of the Tehran Convention Secretariat. The expert group should prioritize ensuring equal representation of the Caspian States and fostering collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Emphasize the importance of continuing work on the draft protocol to the Tehran Convention on Monitoring, Assessment and Exchange of Information on the State of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea.
4. Underscore the importance of the Caspian Economic Forums as a platform for discussing trade and economic cooperation in the Caspian Sea in order to develop and strengthen it.
5. Support the initiative to establish a working group on the issues of shallowing of the Caspian Sea and instruct the High-level Working Group on Caspian Sea Issues to pay special attention to this topic in the framework of its review of cooperation in the Caspian Sea.
6. State the need for five-party consultations on the development of cultural and humanitarian ties and the tourism sector of the economy in the Caspian region, as well as defining of common approaches to the development of relevant draft agreements.
7. Confirm that meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caspian Littoral States will be held as necessary and, if possible, annually.
8. Express their gratitude to the Russian Federation for the high level of organization of the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caspian Littoral States.
The next meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caspian Littoral states will be held in Turkmenistan in 2024. ///nCa, 5 December 2023 (photo credit – MFA Azerbaijan)