Caspian Sea convention provides framework to safeguard Iran’s interests: Official

 The Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea provides a comprehensive framework for cooperation among the five littoral states while helping safeguard Iran’s security and national interests, the head of Iran’s Caspian Sea Secretariat said.

In a note published by IRNA, Nabiollah Azami wrote that the convention, signed by the presidents of Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan in Aktau in August 2018 after nearly two decades of negotiations, could play a key role in consolidating security along Iran’s northern borders.

He highlighted the convention’s explicit ban on the presence of military forces, vessels and bases belonging to non-littoral states in the Caspian Sea. The parties are also committed to preventing their territories from being used by other states for aggression or military action against one another.

Azami said the convention establishes a special sui generis legal regime for the Caspian, meaning it is defined neither as a sea nor a lake and is not subject to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He stressed that the convention does not determine any country’s “share” of the Caspian’s seabed and subsoil resources. Delimitation of the seabed and subsoil, including oil and gas resources, is to be addressed through future bilateral and trilateral agreements.

The convention expands the fishing zone from 10 to 25 nautical miles, providing a framework for cooperation on navigation, fisheries, environmental protection, scientific research and combating terrorism, drug trafficking and other organized crimes.

It also requires environmental standards and assessments for seabed pipelines, giving Iran a role in decisions concerning such projects.

According to Azami, all other Caspian littoral states have ratified the convention, while its entry into force remains dependent on Iran’s approval. The bill has been submitted to Iran’s parliament after approval by the administration.

He warned that failure to implement the convention could create a legal vacuum, encourage unilateral interpretations and increase opportunities for non-littoral powers to expand their role in the Caspian.