Turkmenistan encourages constructive dialogue of Caspian states, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at the Cabinet, Trend reports.
The president reminded that the country focuses on mutually beneficial partnership, balance of national and common interests, neutrality, peace and consent, expansion of efficient cooperation.
Berdimuhamedov called the Caspian Sea a unique water body and said that Turkmenistan will continue using its resources rationally.
Turkmenistan has the fourth largest deposits of natural gas in the world (after Russia, Iran and Qatar). Turkmenistan is interested in transporting gas through the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan to Europe.
The Turkmen inter-department commission for the Caspian Sea, established in 2007, recently held a session in Ashkhabad. Attendants of the commission discussed the concept for fishing in the sea until 2030, a document on technical aspects of the process, shipbuilding, staff training and science research.
The commission studied a project to prevent oil spill in the Turkmen sector of the sea, considered a report on the work of the Caspian Ecological Forum of 2012.
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran signed a framework convention on environmental protection of the Caspian Sea in November 2003. Kazakhstan and Russia signed an agreement delimiting the northern part of the sea in July 1998 and a protocol to the document in May 2002. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed a similar agreement and a protocol on November 29, 2001, and February 27, 2003, respectively. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement setting the crossing point of borders of the three states on May 14, 2003.
