Iran highlights consensus vital for Caspian Sea legal regime

Iranian President's special advisor for the Caspian Sea Affairs said on Thursday that the Caspian Sea legal regime should be drawn up by the littoral states through consensus, IRNA reported.

Mohammad Mehdi Akhoundzadeh made the remarks in a meeting to review the issues pertaining to the Caspian Sea in Rasht, Gilan province.

"The bilateral and trilateral agreements on Caspian Sea legal regime are not valid for Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.

'Any decision about the Caspian Sea should be made through consensus of all the neighboring states," he said.

Akhoundzadeh told a press conference that Caspian Summit in Tehran and Baku had satisfactory achievements. He further noted that dialogue among officials of the Caspian states is the solution to issues related to the sea.

Pointing out that the littoral states have the capability to solve the issues, Akhoundzadeh underlined the significance of non-interference by outside countries.

He emphasized that safeguarding the sea's security is up to the littoral states.

Commenting on Baku Summit of Leaders of Caspian Sea Littoral States, he said that the leaders all agreed to undertake their responsibilities about the status of the sea seriously.

Akhoundzadeh said that Tehran has voiced readiness to draw up the legal regime with the full agreement of all the countries within a year.

'Among the most important items of Baku Summit statement were cooperation in the fields of energy and transportation as well as investment and promote interaction.'

He further noted that the countries had no problem with Caspian Sea shipping.

During Baku Summit, all the countries rejected any foreign interference, he said, adding that the Caspian Sea should be a sea of peace and stability.


/Trend/