BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. Representatives
of the Caspian littoral states have begun another round of talks in
Ashgabat on a draft agreement on cooperation in marine scientific
research in the Caspian Sea.


This was reflected in a press release published today by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.


According to the report, the meeting opened on October 27 at the
Caspian Sea Institute in Ashgabat. The talks focus on the draft
agreement between the governments of the Caspian littoral states on
cooperation in marine scientific research.


“The document is being prepared in accordance with an initiative
put forward by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman
of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov,
during the Fifth Caspian Summit in Aktau on August 12, 2018. At
that time, the Turkmen leader proposed the development of a
separate five-party agreement that would establish a systematic
framework for joint scientific research in the Caspian Sea,” the
report says.


Previous rounds of negotiations confirmed the littoral states’
interest in developing common approaches to the issue. The current
meeting is expected to help advance agreement on the remaining
provisions of the draft document.







The meeting will continue through October 28, 2026.


Meanwhile, cooperation on marine scientific research is part of
broader efforts by the five Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan,
Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan - to coordinate the use
and protection of the sea. The region already has a legal framework
for environmental cooperation under the Tehran Convention, signed
in 2003 and in force since 2006, which provides for joint action on
pollution, biodiversity conservation, and environmental monitoring.
However, a separate agreement on marine scientific research would
establish a more specific framework for cooperation in this
field.


The need for coordinated research has become more pressing as
the Caspian Sea faces environmental and economic challenges,
including a sustained decline in its water level and its effects on
ecosystems, fisheries, navigation, tourism and coastal
infrastructure.


In a declaration adopted in Baku in November 2024,
representatives of all five states called for a coordinated
regional response based on scientific research and sustainable
management.