Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 31 / Trend , V.Zhavoronkova/
Turkmen President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's statement on plans to build a naval base on the shore of the Caspian Sea suggests that Turkmenistan has become stronger and states about its interests, European Expert on energy issues and the CIS, Alexander Rahr believes.
"He [Berdimuhamedov] wants to show other states that Turkmenistan has become stronger, and that it would defend its interests," Director of the Russia-Eurasia Centre of the German Council on Foreign Relations, Rahr told Trend in a telephone conversation from Berlin.
Turkmenistan will quickly create a military-naval base of the Defense Ministry and border guards at the Caspian Sea, the Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at the enlarged meeting of the State Security Council on August 30, RIA Novosti reported.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov instructed the heads of military and law enforcement ministries and departments "to effectively combat the smugglers, terrorists, and any other forces which will attempt to violate the state maritime border of Turkmenistan, or to create an unstable situation there."
The fact that the Turkmen president stated about the establishment of bases speaks openly about his dissatisfaction with the negotiations on the full division of the Caspian Sea, Rahr said.
Turkmenistan has not yet defined the borders on the Caspian Sea with other countries. On dividing the bottom of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia have no claims on one another's. There are both bilateral and trilateral agreements between these countries on the issue. The parties have also agreed to determine the coordinates of the dividing line. The issue is yet to be agreed with just two countries - Turkmenistan and Iran - due to which the status of the Caspian Sea has not yet been defined, despite many years of discussions.
"I cannot imagine that serious military conflicts will commence due to the Caspian Sea, although Baku and Ashgabat had disputes on this issue in the late 1990s," said the expert.
He does not consider Berdimuhamedov's statement certain aggressive signal.
"In recent years, Turkmenistan has been in isolation and observed everything from the side," said Rahr. "But now Ashgabat begins to show interest in the Nabucco project and the projects of the construction of the Trans-Caspian and Caspian gas pipelines."
In addition, the Turkmen leader wants to show other nations that his country has been strengthened, that it will defend its interests and that other states should get used to the fact that Turkmenistan has its own interests in the construction of gas pipelines, the expert said.
The Nabucco project worth 7.9 billion euro will deliver Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas to the EU. Nabucco shareholders are the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE with 16.67 percent each
Construction of the pipeline is expected to begin in 2011 and the first supplies - in 2014. Its maximum capacity will be 31 billion cubic meters per year. An investment solution on the project will be made in the first quarter of 2010.
The Nabucco Gas Pipeline International will invest 30 percent of the project on basis of its share.
The remaining 70 percent will be provided by international institutions.
Rahr said Berdimuhamedov's statement will have an impact on delimitation of the Caspian Sea.
"He explicitly said that the Turkmen side has its position and it is different from the positions of Russia and Iran," said the expert.
Its position is that this country wants a speed division of not only the bottom, but water area of the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan wants to have all the legal and political opportunities for laying a new gas pipeline to Europe, Rahr said.
The expert said Turkmenistan is looking for entering not only China, but also the West.
"While it cannot lay a pipeline due to issue of the status of the Caspian Sea," Rahr said, "it is not saber-rattling, but a reminder that Turkmenistan is no longer a quiet observer and now Ashgabat will take the initiative in their hands."
The status of the Caspian Sea is regulated by 1921 and 1940 agreements signed between the Soviet Union and Iran. Talks to define a new legal status are continuing. Some countries have signed bilateral agreements. In July 1998, Kazakhstan and Russia signed an agreement to divide seabed of the northern Caspian Sea to exercise sovereign rights to the use of mineral resources and a protocol to this agreement in May 2002. On Nov. 9, 2001 and Feb. 27, 2003, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed a contract to divide seabed of the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on point of division of contiguous section of the Caspian Sea seabed on May 4, 2003 .
Iran proposed to divide the sea into equal parts 20 percent each. Azerbaijan was against this principle as third section of the Azerbaijani water of the Caspian Sea will move to Iran's jurisdiction under this principle.
The Caspian littoral states signed a framework convention on protection of the environment of the Caspian Sea in Tehran in Nov. 2003.
New legal status of the Caspian Sea is planned to be solved under the Convention, the text of which is being coordinated by a special working group.
Kazakhstan's position is to apply UN resolutions on law of the sea adopted in 1982.
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