Iranian Foreign Minister denies using Caspian resources over 50pc
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki today denied that Iran’s share of the Caspian Sea resources has never been over 50 percent. He said “The figure is not logical, nor has there been any accord about it…Iran’s exploitation of the Caspian Sea has never been higher than 11.3 percent.” He also denied that Iran had had 50 percent of the Caspian share in the past.
The Caspian Sea littoral states include Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Kazakhstan’s share of the Caspian Sea is 24 percent, Russia Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan each has less than a 20 percent share.
Iran and the USSR had owned and administered the Caspian Sea resources. But the break up of Soviet Union brought in more member states.
On October 17, 2007, Caspian Sea leaders signed a declaration to efficiently utilize the Caspian Sea’s rich resources. It says that the Caspian Sea legal regime convention is authorized to determine the Caspian Sea legal regime, which can only be approved through the littoral states’ consensus.
The first Caspian Sea summit was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in 2002.