Iran FM to attend meeting on Caspian Sea legal status in Moscow

Heading a delegation comprising political and legal experts, Zarif is scheduled to attend the meeting on Monday and Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Sunday.

He added that the participants would discuss the draft Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea and ways to finalize it.

They would also make preparations and evaluate documents for the next Caspian Sea summit, the Iranian spokesperson noted.

The Caspian Sea littoral states - Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia - have been discussing a convention on the sea’s legal regime that would be a comprehensive document outlining the duties and rights of the five littoral states as well as the framework of cooperation among these countries.

Speaking in a ministerial meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states in the Kazakh capital of Astana in July 2016, the Iranian foreign minister said the sea's legal regime should guarantee that the interests of the littoral states are met in view of the geopolitical developments.

Iran's foreign minister says the Caspian Sea's legal regime must guarantee the interests of all littoral states.

He added that the legal regime of the Caspian Sea should take into account peace and security.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water by area and is variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea.

The issue of the legal status of the Caspian Sea was given significance after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of new independent states bordering the sea.

END