Russia, Astrakhan, Sept.23 / Trend V. Tukayev /
Russia stands for maximally considering all littoral countries' interests in determining the legal status of the Caspian Sea.
Russia is interested in resolving the status of the Caspian Sea as soon as possible, stats-secretary- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Grigory Karasin, said at the meeting of Russia's ambassadors to the Caspian littoral countries in Astrakhan.
According to Karasin, "Russia does everything possible to ensure that the legal status covers the interests of all littoral countries and will insist on this. The main principle is that all five Caspian countries should participate in the solution of the status, as well as that the regional interests and the interests of the Caspian littoral countries should be taken into account."
"I believe it is necessary to develop practical forms of cooperation in economy, investment, culture and relations between people until the question of the status of the Caspian Sea is resolved," Karasin said, noting that they want to create a security system of the Caspian Sea, which would promote stability in the region. "For this reason, representatives of all five Caspian littoral countries should have a meeting in Baku in late October.
"We are preparing for this meeting and hope that the practical forms of cooperation will be found here," Karasin said.
On the division of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia have no claims for each other's sectors. 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 two countries - Turkmenistan and Iran. It is due to this that the status of the Caspian Sea has not yet been defined, despite many years of discussions.
On Sept.23-24, Astrakhan hosts the meeting of Russia's ambassadors to the Caspian countries to discuss joint execution of Russian President, Dmitry Medvedyev's orders to accelerate the process of determining the status of the sea.