Russian Foreign Ministry: Caspian Convention waiting to enter into force for 3 years due to Iran

Moscow expects Tehran to ratify the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea in the near future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi.

"We expect the ratification procedure on the legal status of the Caspian Sea in Iran to end soon. The important convention signed 3 years ago in Aktau will come into force and will strengthen the foundation of our cooperation in the Caspian Sea," TASS cited the Russian diplomat as saying.

Presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, the five Caspian littoral states, met in the Kazakh city of Aktau for the Fifth Caspian Summit on August 12, 2018 to reach a deal on the legal status of the legal status of the Caspian Sea. Despite singing the convention of 2018 it is not in force yet, due to the protracted process of ratification by Iran.