Baku, Azerbaijan, July 11
By Khalid Kazimov – Trend:
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will leave Tehran for Astana, Kazakhstan, to attend a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states July 13, IRNA news agency reported.
The foreign ministers of Caspian littoral states - Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia will discuss the legal status of the Caspian Sea in Astana.
Earlier, this week an Iranian working group arrived in Astana to participate in the expert-level meetings held before the foreign ministers convene.
The five Caspian states signed a Framework Convention for Protection of Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003.
Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian seabed in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998. The two countries signed a protocol to the agreement in May 2002.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on delimitation of the Caspian seabed 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.