Baku, Azerbaijan, July 13
Trend:
It is quite possible that the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea will be signed in the first half of 2017, TASS news agency quoted Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying July 13.
Lavrov made the remarks addressing a press conference following the meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian Sea littoral states - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran and Turkmenistan.
“We have carried out very fruitful work,” said Lavrov. “We have moved forward in a number of directions.”
“As for the remaining issues, it is necessary to find proper formulations for the principles agreed by the presidents,” he added.
The Caspian states signed the Framework Convention for Protection of Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003.
Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998. The two countries signed a protocol to the agreement in May 2002.
Moreover, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea and a protocol to it on Nov. 29, 2001, and Feb. 27, 2003, respectively.
Additionally, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.