BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. It is necessary to create a single organization for the cooperation of the five Caspian littoral states, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, Trend reports.
He spoke at a meeting of Caspian littoral states' foreign ministers in Moscow.
"It is imperative that the process of five-party collaboration in the Caspian Sea be hastened. Furthermore, we believe that all decisions should be made with the consent and approval of the five Caspian littoral republics. We must promote communal engagement in order to transform the Caspian Sea into a symbol of friendship, progress, and development structure must be implemented. In this context, it is critical to establish a single secretariat or institution capable of managing and controlling all aspects of Caspian Sea cooperation," he said.
The minister emphasized that more impetus should be given to the five-party cooperation in the Caspian Sea.
"Iran encourages the development of the central economy and cooperative investments in maritime transportation, ports, navigation, maritime tourism, the construction of free trade zones, fisheries, and the rational and sustainable use of bio-resources. The Caspian Sea's trade, economic, and transportation cooperation must be strengthened. Holding Caspian economic forums is a good way to strengthen this cooperation. Unfortunately, the third Caspian Economic Forum in Tehran has been postponed. We are working to propose new dates for this forum at the level of Caspian littoral governments' prime ministers. The regular hosting of this conference will protect the interests of the five littoral republics," Abdollahian added.
The meeting is attended by foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan and chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.