Will the Convention on the status of the Caspian Sea be signed in 2016 at the summit in Astana?

Baku on March 4-5, The 39th meeting of the ad hoc working group of the Caspian states to develop the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea with the participation of deputy foreign ministers was held in Baku on March 4-5. The discussions  were revolved around the agreements reached at the summit of Caspian states last fall.

"The draft convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea  has been agreed by 80%. Baku meeting  can be regarded as the beginning of the final stage in coordination Convention," said Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov at the press conference after the meeting. He expressed the hope that the agreements will form the basis for the completion of the draft convention, to sign the final document of the summit of heads of state in 2016 in Astana.

  Khalafov said that the agreements reached under  the section  of the surface of the water, the use of biological resources, fisheries, use of the total surface water interaction in emergency situations, security, navigation, meteorology.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ibrahim Rahimpur reported that the Baku meeting achieved some progress on the development of the legal status of the Caspian Sea. According to him, the parties have reached full agreement on six articles of the Convention. He also said that Iran and Azerbaijan continues bilateral talks on the Caspian Sea, and there is a "rapprochement".

Issues related to pipelines and cables on the bottom of the Caspian Sea, are still on the agenda, and discussions on them will continue, said the special envoy of the Russian Foreign Ministry Igor Bratchikov.

"The draft convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea has a separate item on the laying of pipelines. It is discussed, and there are different approaches. Discussions are ongoing,"  said Bratchikov. In turn, the head of the Kazakh delegation Z.Amanzholova also pointed to various positions on oil and gas pipelines. She expressed the hope that before the Astana summit will be reached agreements on these issues.

Following the meeting was adopted a communiqué that the next meeting will be held within the next two months in Tehran. -03C