Moscow gives concern for the construction of Transcaspia

Moscow/22.06.18/Turan: The draft convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea presupposes the possibility for the participating countries to lay submarine pipelines, the Russian government said in a resolution published on Friday. "The parties can lay submarine cables and pipelines along the bottom of the Caspian Sea," reads the Article 14 of the draft convention. It was stipulated that such projects must comply with environmental requirements and standards "fixed in international treaties to which they are parties," RIA Novosti quotes.

"The definition of the route for laying submarine cables and pipelines is carried out in agreement with the party, through the sector of the bottom of which an underwater cable or pipeline should be conducted," the draft convention says.

The countries laying the pipeline are obliged to inform the participants of the future convention of the coordinates of the areas where cables and pipelines are laid and underwater works are prohibited.

The Government of the Russian Federation approved the draft convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, invites the president to sign it.

Signing the convention is expected during the next summit of the Caspian countries in Astana.

The uncertainty of the legal status of the Caspian Sea was indicated as the main obstacle in construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, which will transport huge amounts of Turkmen gas to Europe. For many years, Russia and Iran strongly opposed the implementation of this project. -02D-