21.05.2008, 16:49 2581

Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan consider continuation of negotiations on Caspian Sea status important

Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan consider continuation of negotiations on coordination of positions of the near-Caspian countries on legal status of the Caspian Sea important. The President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said on Monday, following the results of the negotiations in Baku on Tuesday, the agency reports.

Baku. May 21. Kazakhstan Today - Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan consider continuation of negotiations on coordination of positions of the near-Caspian countries on legal status of the Caspian Sea important. The President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said on Monday, following the results of the negotiations in Baku on Tuesday, the agency reports.

"We consider that prompt defining of the Caspian Sea status will allow creating favorable conditions for effective and rational development of its hydro carbonic and biological resources, protection and preservations of this unique ecological system of the Caspian pool, and active economic cooperation in the Caspian Sea," G. Berdymuhamedov noted.

"We came to a common opinion about importance of continuation of constructive negotiations on coordination of positions of all five littoral states concerning legal status of the Caspian Sea. Solution of this question depends on understanding of necessity of transformation of the Caspian region into the zone of peace, good neighborhood, stability and mutually beneficial cooperation," he emphasized.

As he said, development and signing of the Convention on legal status of the Caspian Sea "is a prime and urgent goal of all near-Caspian states."

The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev noted that "effective interaction of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan in this direction will promote comprehensive settlement of this issue."

As it was informed earlier, the Minister of Industry and Energy of Azerbaijan Natik Aliyev one of these days stated that Azerbaijan in resolution of the problem of the status of the Caspian Sea bases itself on the experience recognized by other littoral Caspian states - Russia and Kazakhstan, and the agreements signed with these countries regarding delimitation of the national sectors of the sea. In his opinion, first of all it is important to define the median line on the basis of the accepted international norms, which will help to make a decision on disputable deposits.

As it was informed earlier, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan relations were frozen during governing period of the President of Kazakhstan Saparmurat Niyazov due to political disagreements on the status of the Caspian Sea, as well as dispute for the large oil deposit Serdar (in the Azerbaijan toponymics - Kyapyaz), located on sea border of two states. The deposit stocks are estimated in 80 million tons of oil and 32 billion cubic meter of gas.

The dialogue between the countries has renewed with coming to power of the President G. Berdymuhamedov in February 2007. In January, 2008 Baku and Ashkhabad resumed the work of the bilateral commission on economic cooperation, held negotiations concerning defining of the median line on the Caspian Sea. In March, 2008 Ashkhabad sent its ambassador to Baku.

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