Iran will host senior officials from the five Caspian Sea littoral states at a conference in Tehran on 23 September, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and addressing environmental challenges facing the sea.
Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said on Tuesday that Tehran would host a conference of “top-ranking” officials from the Caspian Sea littoral states on 23 September.
“It would provide an opportunity for bilateral and multilateral talks and help strengthen regional cooperation,” he said at a ceremony marking the National Day of the Caspian Sea, observed on 12 August.
The date marks the entry into force in 2006 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, also known as the Tehran Convention.
“Following the agreement of the coastal states – Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan,” Gharibabadi added, “the ground is set for convention of the Seventh Conference of the Parties to the Tehran Convention”.
Tehran had proposed hosting a Caspian summit on 12 August 2026 to commemorate Caspian Sea Day, but the event could not be convened because of conditions following the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran.
The Iranian official also said that recent hostilities had further increased the Caspian Sea’s geopolitical and strategic significance.
“Regional security should be maintained by the five coastal states,” Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.
His statements came after an Iranian commercial vessel was hit by a Ukrainian military drone in Russian territorial waters in the Caspian Sea in July, killing one sailor aboard.
Iran shares a 650-kilometre coastline along the southern Caspian Sea. Last November, it hosted the first Forum of Caspian Sea Governors-General in Rasht, the capital of Iran’s Caspian province of Gilan.
The conference discussed a wide range of topics, including the economy, investment and regional development, as well as the environment, fisheries and restoration of the Caspian Sea ecosystem. Transit, logistics and development of the International North-South Transport Corridor were also discussed.
Gharibabadi also urged the five Caspian littoral states to fulfil their responsibilities to protect the world's largest inland body of water, warning that neglect could cause irreparable damage.
"Since our friendly and neighbouring country Turkmenistan has proposed to hold a summit on the environment and to examine the phenomenon of the decline in the Caspian water level on October 8 in Ashgabat and in the Avaza region of Turkmenistan, we welcomed this proposal."
The senior Iranian diplomat added: “Declining Caspian water levels, pollution, climate change, and weakening of the ecosystem can directly affect the lives of coastal communities, economic activities, fisheries, transportation, ports, and coastal infrastructure.”
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrai...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the ...
Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea following bad weather, while 113 p...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
Saudi Arabia’s outbound travel market could surge from around $35 billion to more than $60 billion by 2030-2034, driven by a young generation of high-spending travellers and intensifying competition among global destinations.
Uzbekistan’s first permanent contemporary art institution has opened in a historic 1912 building in Tashkent, transforming a former tram depot and diesel power station into a new cultural hub for the region.
Uzbekistan plans to introduce a new Heritage Impact Assessment system to shield historic cities and cultural heritage sites from the potential impact of construction and infrastructure development. Digital tools will also be used to manage tourist numbers and limit visitors where necessary.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening its partnership with the Gates Foundation, with talks spanning polio eradication, health, financial inclusion and digital development.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment