A new episode of Baku TV’s “Global Panorama” program has been broadcast.
In this edition of the program the legal status of the Caspian Sea was discussed.
It was noted that the Caspian, considered the largest closed water basin in the world, is surrounded by Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan:
Whether a sea or a lake, its legal status has been the subject of discussion and debate for many years. The reason is that the sea is rich in oil and gas, as well as rare fish species. an important role in the economy of each Caspian country. “Countries in the region are trying to control as many resources as possible in this sea, if you can say, to get a larger share of the Caspian.”
It was highlighted that until the collapse of the USSR, the question of the status of the Caspian Sea was not very relevant: “Because Russia and Iran considered the sea as their internal basin based on the Treaty on Trade and Maritime Affairs signed between them in 1921 and 1940 ” and the international community accepted it as such.”
It was added that the situation has changed since 1991. With the independence of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, new actors appeared:
“If Russia and Iran considered the Caspian as a lake and defended the idea that both its watershed and its natural resources are common property, other countries considered the Caspian as a sea and suggested applying the principles of international maritime law here. According to this approach, each country can use coastal water resources independently.”
More in the video:
Why can’t the Caspian countries divide the sea?
