Turkmen Foreign Ministry answered Elmar Mammadyarov

The Turkmen Foreign Ministry issued a statement yesterday in connection with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s statement that Ashgabat has not formally addressed  Baku regarding its intention to challenge the ownership of the Kapaz oilfield (in the Turkmen version - Serdar) in international arbitration.

    The Turkmen Foreign Ministry said that the Azerbaijani side has repeatedly sent formal diplomatic notes "on the issue of unlawful unilateral actions of Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea."

     The Turkmen side, in particular, refers to "illegal mining" in Omar (Chirag) and Osman (Azeri), as well as improper claims laid to the Serdar (Kapaz) field.

     In its formal notification, the Turkmen side expressed readiness to continue negotiations on the above subject and emphasized that in case of failure to reach an agreement, Turkmenistan has the right to appeal to international courts and arbitral authority.

     In addition, on August 4, 2009 the Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan issued the country's official position on the delimitation of the seabed and subsoil of the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, where it was also noted whether to appeal to the International Court of Justice.

     "Based on the foregoing, the Turkmen side expresses its astonishment and incomprehension with the remarks by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan," said the statement of the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan, which was released by the Embassy of that country in Baku. -06D--