Iran owns 20 percent of the Caspian Sea and the country will make every effort to gain this right, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and Consular Issues Hassan Gashgavi was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency today.
"The five Caspian littoral countries will strictly continue their discussions, and we will hold talks without changing our position on the issue," he said.
A summit of the heads of Caspian states will be held on Nov. 18 in Baku.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and Presidential Adviser for Caspian Issues Mohammad Mehdi Akhundzadeh arrived in Baku today to attend the fourth meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of the five Caspian littoral countries.
In November 2003, the Caspian countries signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea.
In July 1998, 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.
On Nov. 29, 2001 and Feb.27, 2003, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.