Iran Envoy: No Foreign Presence Allowed In Caspian Sea Region

Dushanbe, Feb 16, IRNA – Iran and Russia would not allow any foreign presence in the Caspian Sea region, Tehranˈs special envoy for the worldˈs largest lake affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour has said recently. Rahimpour, currently in Tajikistan on a two-day visit, told IRNA that Caspian Seaˈs three other littoral states (Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan) also share the idea. Noting that talks on the Caspian Seaˈs legal status have so far been successful, Rahimpour said the new round of talks between representatives of the Caspian Sea five littoral states (Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan) would be held in Astrakhan, Russia, in September 2014. He stressed the five states of the worldˈs largest lake are determined to protect it as the sea of peace and friendship./end