The convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea will be signed at the next summit of the five Caspian states in Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin predicted at a summit in Astrakhan today. He expressed hope that Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkmenistan will settle disputes and pass a convention at the next summit, ending the 18-year territorial discrepancies.
Presidents Vladimir Putin (Russia), Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan), Hassan Rouhani (Iran), Nursultan Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan) and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov (Turkmenistan) have agreed that exploitation of the Caspian Sea will be done based on the national sovereignty of all countries over their territory within 15 miles, extraction of resources within 10 miles. Boundaries between sectors will be the subject of further consultations.
Speaking at the summit, Vladimir Putin called the Caspian Region an “oasis of peace and true good-neighbourliness” and expressed confidence that further cooperation of the five countries will contribute to regional stability, combating terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, other challenges, and will boost economic development, improving the competitive potential of the countries on world markets.
The Caspian Sea will be exploited by the five countries surrounding it. The five managed to find clear formulations to settle disputes over the territory of the sea, resources, navigation and fishing. Most of the Caspian Sea is used by its countries, only the five states have the right to keep armed forces on the sea, according to Putin.
The summit discussed cooperation based on the Caspian security agreement that came into force yesterday. It needs protocols for cooperation of border guards, tax services. Russia has already prepared such a document and sent it to colleagues for studies.
Last year, Russian trade turnover with Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan totaled $33 billion. The sides have agreed on joint development of the North South Corridor that will connect the countries of Western and North-Western Europe with South Asia through Russia, the Caspian Sea and Iran. Realization of the project will halve the current route.
Putin proposed the formation of a railway ring around the Caspian. By the end of the year, the eastern semi-circle between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran will have been completed. In 2016, construction of the semi-circle of Azerbaijan and Iran will come to an end. The goal is to connect all Caspian ports to reduce the time and costs of freighting, making the economies of the five states more competitive.
The five leaders left the Astrakhan Kremlin and walked along the coast. They pressed a symbolic button releasing sturgeon (the symbol of the sea). The gesture was a demonstration of the value that the bio-resources of the Caspian have for the five countries.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov
“During the negotiations, Turkmenistan paid special attention to the need to expand cooperation between the Caspian states and the transport sector, maximum use of the potential of the Caspian Sea. We are talking about the creation of a completely new architecture of relations between the Caspian states in the transport sector, because the territories of our countries are a natural geographic space connecting Asia and Europe, providing efficient use of the transport and transit and trade corridors in such directions as East-West and North-South.
We also consider the creation of a regional-transportation logistical center one of the elements of such cooperation.
Turkmenistan is confident of the presence of a wide range of opportunities for partnership and energy cooperation in the Caspian that may be realized in the bilateral and multilateral formats, every country chooses the forms and level of participation in them on its own.
The main principle here should be mutual respect, consideration of the interests of partners, respect for the norms of international law. Politicization of any energy projects in the Caspian is counter-productive.
This concerns prospects of pipeline construction as well.
The position of Turkmenistan on this issue is absolutely clear and fully complies with international law. Construction of such pipelines is the sovereign right of the countries of the territories on which they will run, so they can only be realized with their permission. It is a commonly-accepted practice used in realizing similar projects in different parts of the world. Naturally, in compliance with the highest international ecological norms during the construction.”
Ilham Aliyev
“The basis of our successful steps is the close cooperation that has historically been established between our peoples. Azerbaijan has very close, mutually beneficial, friendly, partnership relations with all the Caspian states. Our peoples are connected by history, and it is very precious that we have managed to preserve, and now multiply, the traditions of cooperation, mutual support and good-neighbourliness. The years that have passed since the last summit in Baku in 2010 were put to good use. The agreements we reached at the Astrakhan summit are the result of very serious, honest work.
So, if it were not for common political will, we would probably have failed to achieve what we have. Today, we have made decisions that can be seen as a step forward in many aspects, and the decisions give us more confidence that we will resolve all the problems associated with cooperation in the Caspian.
At different levels of cooperation of Caspian states, there have been different evaluations of how real it was to reach a consensus to settle basic issues of cooperation. The discussions, decisions and documents signed at the Astrakhan summit make it obvious that the Caspian countries can resolve all issues of cooperation if they have the political will. The guarantee of security in the Caspian is partnership in bilateral and the multilateral formats.
Azerbaijan is very pleased that its Caspian neighbours are good partners and always support each other. The Caspian countries actively cooperate in international organizations. The positive tendencies should and will be continued, said the head of state.
The Caspian is our common treasure, we protect it. We should protect it even better. We should create new opportunities for our countries with measures, including infrastructure projects and investments. The advantage of our countries is not only in friendship and treating each other with sincerity. Our advantage is that we are economically self-sufficient countries. Our countries have no serious financial problems, we can and we do make huge investments in infrastructure. At the next stage we need to consider the coordination of transporters of Caspian states, including coordination of ports built over existing ones. It will provide uninterrupted transportation in all directions, both the North-South direction, which is very promising, and the East-West direction.
Azerbaijan takes part in both projects. We see only benefits and use from such cooperation. The security problems in the Caspian certainly need special attention. Considering the level of cooperation and trust between our countries, each Caspian state enforces its own security and the security of its neighbours at the same time.
Azerbaijan is satisfied with results, documents and agreements reached in Astrakhan and expressed hope that the all issues that have not found solutions would be resolved at the next summit.”
Nursultan Nazarbayev
“Discussion of such a complicated topic is held exceptionally in an atmosphere of friendship, mutual understanding and partnership. That is the only way we could sign a cooperation agreement on security four years ago. It created a formidable basis for expansion of cooperation of our countries on a wide range of issues for enforcement of stability and security on the Caspian Sea.
The common mood of the “Caspian five” is characterized by constructiveness and readiness for compromises. The sides are close to establishing a fair legal regime of the Caspian Sea. Trade-economic ties should become a significant component of the cooperation. We welcome the five-sided Business Forum of countries of the Caspian Region held before the summit. Such a platform is one of the forms for development of mutually-beneficial economic contacts between business officials.
Before settlement of the legal status of the Caspian, we can form the basis for economic cooperation. I offer consideration of the proposal for creation of a “Caspian Free Trade Zone.” The issue can become one of the first for substantive discussions at the governmental level of our countries.
An important achievement of the summit is approval of the principle of free access from the Caspian Sea to other seas, the world ocean and back, based on commonly-recognized norms and the principles of international law.
Today, an advanced network of transit routes operates in Kazakhstan: North-South, TRACECA, Port Lianyungang – Horgos – Port Aktau. Construction of the Western China–Western Europe corridor is coming to an end. This year, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran plan to connect a related railway. We are creating all the necessary conditions to turn the territory of Kazakhstan into the largest Eurasian business and transit hub.
Considering the opening routes through Kazakhstan, our country offers to use them as transit bridges for delivery of products from Caspian states to markets of other countries, mainly China.
For this purpose, the governments of our countries may consider signing inter-governmental agreements. In our opinion, it will give mutual benefit to all sides.
Seas divide our lands but peoples unite them – this wisdom demonstrates the nature of relations between our countries formed over millennia. Today Astrakhan is hosting the Caspian Youth Summit, aimed at strengthening ties between youth. The idea is a timely initiative that needs support.
The negotiations are a demonstration of the good relations of the Caspian states. I am confident that the results of the Astrakhan meeting will make a worthy contribution to their strengthening. For that purpose, we have all the necessary conditions and good will. Only by uniting efforts can we reach the desired result for the good of our nations and countries.”
Hassan Rouhani
“Thank you very much, Mr. President, for your warm hospitality, the efforts made for successfully hosting the 4th Caspian summit. In fact, the agreement reached today is the result of intensive efforts of our side and colleagues. The atmosphere at the summit today was very good. It proves that all the countries are committed to development of cooperation.
I am very happy that we have had opportunities to meet and discuss issues that our countries are interested in four times since the previous year. What matters is the progress achieved in our relations, not the number of meetings.
For us, relations with an important neighbour have special value and it is growing today. The value of the relations between us grows in the bilateral aspect and as a result of the sensitivity of the situation in the region.
We are proud to become pioneers among other states that have recognized the threat of international terrorism and started fighting it. Those who are trying to raise the flag of war against terrorism are doing it very late, and the distance from the pioneers of the cause is very big. I am very happy that our countries have similar, identical positions on many regional issues and problems on the bilateral agenda. There are also opportunities to continue the discussion today.”
Moscow in an “oasis of peace and true good-neighbourliness”The convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea will be signed at the next summit of the five Caspian states in Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin predicted at a summit in Astrakhan today. He expressed hope that Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkmenistan will settle disputes and pass a convention at the next summit, ending the 18-year territorial discrepancies.Presidents Vladimir Putin (Russia), Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan), Hassan Rouhani (Iran), Nursultan Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan) and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov (Turkmenistan) have agreed that exploitation of the Caspian Sea will be done based on the national sovereignty of all countries over their territory within 15 miles, extraction of resources within 10 miles. Boundaries between sectors will be the subject of further consultations.Speaking at the summit, Vladimir Putin called the Caspian Region an “oasis of peace and true good-neighbourliness” and expressed confidence that further cooperation of the five countries will contribute to regional stability, combating terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, other challenges, and will boost economic development, improving the competitive potential of the countries on world markets.The Caspian Sea will be exploited by the five countries surrounding it. The five managed to find clear formulations to settle disputes over the territory of the sea, resources, navigation and fishing. Most of the Caspian Sea is used by its countries, only the five states have the right to keep armed forces on the sea, according to Putin.The summit discussed cooperation based on the Caspian security agreement that came into force yesterday. It needs protocols for cooperation of border guards, tax services. Russia has already prepared such a document and sent it to colleagues for studies.Last year, Russian trade turnover with Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan totaled $33 billion. The sides have agreed on joint development of the North South Corridor that will connect the countries of Western and North-Western Europe with South Asia through Russia, the Caspian Sea and Iran. Realization of the project will halve the current route.Putin proposed the formation of a railway ring around the Caspian. By the end of the year, the eastern semi-circle between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran will have been completed. In 2016, construction of the semi-circle of Azerbaijan and Iran will come to an end. The goal is to connect all Caspian ports to reduce the time and costs of freighting, making the economies of the five states more competitive.The five leaders left the Astrakhan Kremlin and walked along the coast. They pressed a symbolic button releasing sturgeon (the symbol of the sea). The gesture was a demonstration of the value that the bio-resources of the Caspian have for the five countries.Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov“During the negotiations, Turkmenistan paid special attention to the need to expand cooperation between the Caspian states and the transport sector, maximum use of the potential of the Caspian Sea. We are talking about the creation of a completely new architecture of relations between the Caspian states in the transport sector, because the territories of our countries are a natural geographic space connecting Asia and Europe, providing efficient use of the transport and transit and trade corridors in such directions as East-West and North-South.We also consider the creation of a regional-transportation logistical center one of the elements of such cooperation.Turkmenistan is confident of the presence of a wide range of opportunities for partnership and energy cooperation in the Caspian that may be realized in the bilateral and multilateral formats, every country chooses the forms and level of participation in them on its own.The main principle here should be mutual respect, consideration of the interests of partners, respect for the norms of international law. Politicization of any energy projects in the Caspian is counter-productive.This concerns prospects of pipeline construction as well.The position of Turkmenistan on this issue is absolutely clear and fully complies with international law. Construction of such pipelines is the sovereign right of the countries of the territories on which they will run, so they can only be realized with their permission. It is a commonly-accepted practice used in realizing similar projects in different parts of the world. Naturally, in compliance with the highest international ecological norms during the construction.”Ilham Aliyev“The basis of our successful steps is the close cooperation that has historically been established between our peoples. Azerbaijan has very close, mutually beneficial, friendly, partnership relations with all the Caspian states. Our peoples are connected by history, and it is very precious that we have managed to preserve, and now multiply, the traditions of cooperation, mutual support and good-neighbourliness. The years that have passed since the last summit in Baku in 2010 were put to good use. The agreements we reached at the Astrakhan summit are the result of very serious, honest work.So, if it were not for common political will, we would probably have failed to achieve what we have. Today, we have made decisions that can be seen as a step forward in many aspects, and the decisions give us more confidence that we will resolve all the problems associated with cooperation in the Caspian.At different levels of cooperation of Caspian states, there have been different evaluations of how real it was to reach a consensus to settle basic issues of cooperation. The discussions, decisions and documents signed at the Astrakhan summit make it obvious that the Caspian countries can resolve all issues of cooperation if they have the political will. The guarantee of security in the Caspian is partnership in bilateral and the multilateral formats.Azerbaijan is very pleased that its Caspian neighbours are good partners and always support each other. The Caspian countries actively cooperate in international organizations. The positive tendencies should and will be continued, said the head of state.The Caspian is our common treasure, we protect it. We should protect it even better. We should create new opportunities for our countries with measures, including infrastructure projects and investments. The advantage of our countries is not only in friendship and treating each other with sincerity. Our advantage is that we are economically self-sufficient countries. Our countries have no serious financial problems, we can and we do make huge investments in infrastructure. At the next stage we need to consider the coordination of transporters of Caspian states, including coordination of ports built over existing ones. It will provide uninterrupted transportation in all directions, both the North-South direction, which is very promising, and the East-West direction.Azerbaijan takes part in both projects. We see only benefits and use from such cooperation. The security problems in the Caspian certainly need special attention. Considering the level of cooperation and trust between our countries, each Caspian state enforces its own security and the security of its neighbours at the same time.Azerbaijan is satisfied with results, documents and agreements reached in Astrakhan and expressed hope that the all issues that have not found solutions would be resolved at the next summit.”Nursultan Nazarbayev“Discussion of such a complicated topic is held exceptionally in an atmosphere of friendship, mutual understanding and partnership. That is the only way we could sign a cooperation agreement on security four years ago. It created a formidable basis for expansion of cooperation of our countries on a wide range of issues for enforcement of stability and security on the Caspian Sea.The common mood of the “Caspian five” is characterized by constructiveness and readiness for compromises. The sides are close to establishing a fair legal regime of the Caspian Sea. Trade-economic ties should become a significant component of the cooperation. We welcome the five-sided Business Forum of countries of the Caspian Region held before the summit. Such a platform is one of the forms for development of mutually-beneficial economic contacts between business officials.Before settlement of the legal status of the Caspian, we can form the basis for economic cooperation. I offer consideration of the proposal for creation of a “Caspian Free Trade Zone.” The issue can become one of the first for substantive discussions at the governmental level of our countries.An important achievement of the summit is approval of the principle of free access from the Caspian Sea to other seas, the world ocean and back, based on commonly-recognized norms and the principles of international law.Today, an advanced network of transit routes operates in Kazakhstan: North-South, TRACECA, Port Lianyungang – Horgos – Port Aktau. Construction of the Western China–Western Europe corridor is coming to an end. This year, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran plan to connect a related railway. We are creating all the necessary conditions to turn the territory of Kazakhstan into the largest Eurasian business and transit hub.Considering the opening routes through Kazakhstan, our country offers to use them as transit bridges for delivery of products from Caspian states to markets of other countries, mainly China.For this purpose, the governments of our countries may consider signing inter-governmental agreements. In our opinion, it will give mutual benefit to all sides.Seas divide our lands but peoples unite them – this wisdom demonstrates the nature of relations between our countries formed over millennia. Today Astrakhan is hosting the Caspian Youth Summit, aimed at strengthening ties between youth. The idea is a timely initiative that needs support.The negotiations are a demonstration of the good relations of the Caspian states. I am confident that the results of the Astrakhan meeting will make a worthy contribution to their strengthening. For that purpose, we have all the necessary conditions and good will. Only by uniting efforts can we reach the desired result for the good of our nations and countries.”Hassan Rouhani“Thank you very much, Mr. President, for your warm hospitality, the efforts made for successfully hosting the 4th Caspian summit. In fact, the agreement reached today is the result of intensive efforts of our side and colleagues. The atmosphere at the summit today was very good. It proves that all the countries are committed to development of cooperation.I am very happy that we have had opportunities to meet and discuss issues that our countries are interested in four times since the previous year. What matters is the progress achieved in our relations, not the number of meetings.For us, relations with an important neighbour have special value and it is growing today. The value of the relations between us grows in the bilateral aspect and as a result of the sensitivity of the situation in the region.We are proud to become pioneers among other states that have recognized the threat of international terrorism and started fighting it. Those who are trying to raise the flag of war against terrorism are doing it very late, and the distance from the pioneers of the cause is very big. I am very happy that our countries have similar, identical positions on many regional issues and problems on the bilateral agenda. There are also opportunities to continue the discussion tod
