The meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states is taking place in Moscow. It is chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan are holding a meeting in Moscow. A photo from the meeting was published by spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova.
The photograph shows Jeyhun Bayramov, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Murat Nurtleu, Sergey Lavrov and Rashid Meredov.
Lavrov on Caspian council
Stressing that cooperation in the Caspian region has reached a high level, Lavrov said the creation of a Caspian council could further boost regional cooperation.
He noted that additional efforts are needed to improve the quality of five-party interaction and strengthen its foundations in terms of international law.
"The move to create a Caspian council could raise the effectiveness of our work, which would be a forum for cooperation and dialogue free of bureaucratic red tape," Lavrov added.
Bayramov on Secretariat of Framework Convention in Baku
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, in turn, said an agreement has been reached to hold the first meeting of a special expert group on preparation of draft documents on organization of activities of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in Baku on December 18-19.
According to the Azerbaijani FM, this will create an opportunity for constructive dialogue and convergence of positions.
"I am confident that the successful work of the expert group will allow to start the process of placing the secretariat in Baku," Bayramov said.
Abdollahian on need to create unified organization of Caspian states
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stressed the neet to create a single organization for the cooperation of the five Caspian littoral states, .
He expressed confidence that it is imperative that the process of five-party collaboration in the Caspian Sea be hastened. The diplomat noted that all decisions should be made with the consent and approval of the five Caspian littoral republics.
"We must promote communal engagement in order to transform the Caspian Sea into a symbol of friendship, progress, and development structure must be implemented. In this context, it is critical to establish a single secretariat or institution capable of managing and controlling all aspects of Caspian Sea cooperation," Amir-Abdollahian said.
