TASS with reference to Russian State Secretary, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin reports that the summit of the Caspian states may be held in Astana in early 2018, and the foreign ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan might meet in December in Moscow to discuss preparations for the summit.
“Work in this direction is underway and for the time being we are trying to finalize certain details of this document.Foreign ministers might get together in Moscow sometime in December in order to organize an important summit closer to spring.
This time the summit is scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan, most likely in Astana,” he said.
Karasin also noted that the Caspian Sea should become an example of cooperation against the background of “various unpredictable approaches towards major international problems”. “This will provide an opportunity for all five states not to wait for favours from extra-regional players and more rapid development of the international situation.
This will enable them to act independently and become an example of positive regional interaction,” he added.
The convention on the legal status of the sea is expected to be signed at the next summit.
The status of the Caspian Sea remains a key topic of discussions at the Caspian states’ summits.The leaders of the five countries met for the first time in 2002 in Ashgabat.
The second Caspian summit was held in Tehran in 2007, the third one in Baku in 2010, and the fourth summit in Astrakhan in 2014.