By Vestnik Kavkaza
Various positions in the settlement of the legal status of the Caspian Sea are still one of the factors of economic instability in the region. Iran has a different view on the issue, in comparison with other Caspian countries. Tehran places big hopes on the summit in Astana, which will take place next year. Victor Kalyuzhny, the chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Fund of the National Petroleum Institute, Chairman of the Board "Science and Innovation of the Caspian Sea", thinks that “Iran has always been an active partner of Russia in the Caspian region. Iran has money to invest in Russia, and Russia is ready to attract business, taking into account the problems that are out there today in the field of energy. But the Caspian region, to some degree, should be the starting point, which would give us the opportunity to sit at the same table.
This touches on Turkmenistan, according to Kalyuzhny. “There was always the problem of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, it had always been there. There were times when we were categorically against it. Today it is becoming a reality, because there is no legal status of the main document, which would ultimately close this problem. A resolution and a decision of the case only in enhancing the position of Russia in the Caspian Sea. Real, effective, and most importantly active.
It is impossible to sit in terms of protocol issues, it is what we are doing today, being infected with caution. We must try to look at ourselves, at our position critically. This position is to unite everyone in solving the problems of the Caspian Sea. In the Caspian dialogue, sounds like, about, briefly, but - "Let's all save the Caspian Sea!" And, above all, this is due to environmental issues,” Kalyuzhny thinks.
It is planned that representatives of the five Caspian countries will participate in the celebration of Caspian Day, which will be marked in Russia on August 12th for the first time. RIA Novosti reports that the president of the international environmental foundation ‘Pure Seas’, Sergei Krikalev, says that “we have been working on the project of wide-scale celebration of Caspian Day for a year. The holiday will be international; all the Caspian states – Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran – will take part in it.” The festival will be a new platform for an open dialogue between social organizations, business, and the authorities of the Caspian countries in an informal format.
