Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Aug. 4 / corr Trend G.Hasanov / The Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan published its concept on delimitation of the Caspian Sea. It mainly deals with disagreements appeared with neighboring Azerbaijan on some oil and gas fields.
The Turkmen President Gurbangulu Berdimuhammedov emphasized that solution of disputes between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan on the border delimitation in the Caspian Sea requires International Arbitration Court. The president tasked the Foreign Minister Rashid Maradov to prepare a relevant appeal. The Turkmen leader mentioned the disagreements arising around the Kapaz field (Serdar in Turkmen interpretation), as well as the Azeri and Chirag fields (Osman and Omar).
At present, the Caspian region is one of the important geopolitical and geo-economic centers on Eurasia, acting as the most important energy, transportation and communication hub. So, it is significant to establish international cooperation based on clear international legal norms of equality and mutual consideration of interests of all littoral countries. That is the vision of the issue conditioned by the status of the Caspian countries as equal subjects of international relations.
The range of their interests is an inextricable linkage between economic, environmental, political and other aspects of the Caspian issue. In this connection the contemporary international law provides Caspian countries with certain legal tools, enabling to balance interests and to achieve practical results, the Turkmen Foreign Policy Department said.
The Caspian littoral countries reached an agreement on establishment of permanent working group comprised of deputy foreign ministers of the Caspian countries in Ashgabat in November 1996.
The working group operates actively bringing a positive action into the negotiation. So far, 25 meetings have been held on a rotating basis and the countries agreed upon issues associated with the development of a draft Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea. The group plans to hold the next meeting in the capital of Turkmenistan by the end of the year
However, the negotiations in a format of working group showed that its activity, being useful and effective within the delegated authority, does not allow to resolve some fundamental issues.
Turkmenistan holds consultations and negotiations both in bilateral and multilateral levels on the key issue of Caspian diplomacy: delimitation of the seabed and subsoil of the Caspian Sea,. Turkmenistan operates in line with the principles of mutual respect and approaches responsibly to the compliance of their national interests and sovereign rights, as well as to the rights and interests of partners
Turkmenistan's position is based on the universally recognized principles and norms of international law and is as follows:
Turkmenistan rejects any one-sided actions in the Caspian Sea without the an agreement between the littoral countries determining their jurisdiction in regard to specific seabed. It fully refers to realization of oil operations in fields in the Caspian Sea.
Turkmenistan adheres to the above position in negotiations on delimitation of the Caspian seabed with the neighboring countries.
In particular, such approach is used at meetings between Turkmen and Azerbaijani experts. Its essence is that delimitation of the Caspian ground and wealth between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan should be done without impact of the Absheron peninsular and Shiloy Island, which are "special circumstances" in the international marine law and respectively, should not be taken into consideration while determining the medium line.
Grounding own position during the Turkmen-Azerbaijani talks comprised of 16 rounds, Turkmenistan produces all necessary historical, cartographic, legal and other materials, confirming its relevance. Being keen on constructive cooperation, the Turkmen experts offer different variants for efficient and fair solution of the problem.
However, the negotiations have definite opportunities, including time parameters.
In this condition it is correct to appeal to international arbitral instances, which is the legal and civilized solution to disputes between the countries.
With this respect, the Turkmen president ordered Turkmen Foreign Ministry to involve authorized international experts and well-qualified lawyers to develop all necessary documents to submit to the International Arbitral Court at a meeting of Turkmen Cabinet of Ministers on July 24. President emphasized that Turkmenistan does not pretend to occupy other's territory and remains supporter of fair territorial section of the unique reservoir, coordinating the interests of all littoral countries on the basis of universally recognized norms of international law and international experience for determining sea boundaries.
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