IRAN TURKMENISTAN REJECT UNILATERAL DECISIONS IN THE CASPIAN SEA
ASHKHABAD (TURKMENISTAN) 10 Aug (IPS-IRNA) Iran and Turkmenistan opposed Friday here Friday any unilateral move for oil prospecting in the Caspian Sea before the legal regime of the waters is established.
The opposition came during a meeting held here between Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov and visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs and Caspian Sea, Mr. Ali Ahani.
"The two sides stressed in the meeting to avoid from unilateral moves for the exploitation of Caspian resources, especially disputed oil reserves of the coastal states, before the legal status of the sea is clarified", Mr. Ahani told the official news agency IRNA after his talks with Niyazov.
"Niyazov, in the meeting, reiterated the need for the formation of five-sided summit of the coastal states and ruled out any unilateral moves of the foreign companies", the agency further quoted Ahani as having said.
They also called for carving up a formula, accepted by all the coastal states, over the partition of the Caspian Sea and stressed for the settlement of differences through dialogue, a reference to the recent Iran-Azerbaijan dispute in the Alborz-Alov oil fields.
According to the Iranian diplomat, President Niyazov called for the strengthening of Tehran-Ashkhabad ties "in view of their enormous potentials due to the two countries' cultural and historical commonalities".
The two also discussed bilateral co-operation between Iran and Turkmenistan in oil and gas sectors as well as regional issues, including the Afghan internal war.
On a tour of the region to discuss the Caspian issues and promote Iranian views, Mr. Ahani arrived in the Turkmen Capital last night, coming from Moscow, where he had met with senior Russian officials, including his Russian counterpart Alexander Losyukov.
He described his talks in the Russian Capital as "constructive and positive" and informed that he would visit Moscow again in September to follow up Tehran-Moscow negotiations on the Caspian Sea.
Though Iranian officials insist that Moscow backs their proposal for the equal sharing of the Sea’s shores, but informed experts say Russia has already defined his own borders in the Caspian with neighbouring Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on the internationally agreed principle of each nation’s length of the shores.
"The two countries, Mr. Ahani said, also stressed that any accord on the Caspian Sea should be reached with the participation of all coastal states, namely Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan".
The Caspian Sea came to the brink of a possible military showdown recently after Iran protested to Azeri oil prospecting in the Alborz sector claimed by Iran.
Iranian warplanes and gunboats went into action two weeks ago against a survey vessel belonging to the British Petroleum that was prospecting the disputed region for the Azeri State Oil Company.
The feud, however, eased up after Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi earlier called for "dialogue" over the issue and Azeri President Heydar Aliyev made conciliatory statements, confirming his imminent trip to Tehran.
Iran calls for a "common sovereignty" over the sea and has made it known that it considers any unilateral deals for energy explorations in the Caspian Sea as "null and void", before the issue of legal regime of the inland waters is settled.
The five littoral states of the sea are scheduled to meet in Ashkhabad in October to decide on a legal regime for the waters. IRAN TURKMENISTAN CASPIAN 11801