CLOSE-UP OBSERVED IN POSITIONS OF CASPIAN STATES ON CASPIAN DEMARCATION

The consulting and negotiations on division of the Caspian between Azerbaijan and Iran are not stopping. In these negotiations still there are a number of unsolved problems. And they first of all concern the formula general for all the countries, under which Caspian may be divided. The ambassador of Iran to Azerbaijan Ahad Gazai informed it at the press conference at the International press center these days.

In positions of the Caspian countries on development of the Caspian legal status some rapproachement is observed. As he said, in north Caspian Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan have practically achieved consent. "Rapproachement of positions" in the south is also planned between Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. Gazai informed that in near future the Azerbaijan-Iranian consultings will be held and then pentalateral meeting of the Caspian states representatives will pass in Moscow.

The ambassador noted that under the formula to which Iran adheres, all the Caspian countries are allocated 20% of the sea surface. However, there are also other accounts. They differ from each other. Within the framework of these accounts from 18% to 22% is allocated to Iran, ambassador considers. Gazai evaded from answering to the question whether Iran is still insisting on receiving 20% of the Caspian. The diplomat explained that essence of the question is not percentage, but the method of share to base on international experience. Thus, today, first of all, all the countries must develop and agree with general principles put in the process of sea demarcation.

At the same time diplomat emphasized that the principle of the sea demarcation must be realized according to international norms. "In the world practice there are no universal principles, therefore the most acceptable one must be chosen at definition of the Caspian status". Thus the ambassador emphasized that share of Iran at demarcation of the Caspian must be determined by experts. "If they come to a consent, the Iranian party will also agree with their opinion", - Gazai stated.

At the same time, emphasized A.Gazai, the negotiations between Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on the status of the southern part of the Caspian Sea must be finished by signing single agreement between the leaders of all the Caspian states. He reminded that next meetings of the Caspian states representatives will be held in Azerbaijan and Russia, where offers of experts committees on the given question will be discussed. "The Agreement on the status of the Caspian Sea must be prepared within the framework of international law and in view of interests of all the 5 states of the region. Caspian must become the sea of peace and cooperation", - the ambassador of Iran emphasized.

The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Iran to Kazakhstan Murtazo Safari stated at the press conference on February 10 in Almaty that the problem of Caspian status definition is solved by 80%. According to Safari, the government of Iran will conduct negotiations with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan on section of the Caspian Sea in analogy to the contract on demarcation of the bottom of northern part of the Caspian concluded between Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan.

At the same time ambassador noted that the already made contract has the right to validity only in relations between the states having signed it, but can not be used as an international document determining the status of the given reservoir. The basic principle to which adheres Iran at these negotiations, again repeated Safari is division of the Caspian Sea bottom by the principle of middle line. In this case, as he said, Iran must have 20% of the bottom under its geographical arrangement. At the same time, he said, Russian experts agreeing with the principle of demarcation of the sea on middle line say that Iran will be given 17-18%. The demarcation of oil and gas structures, the ambassador noted, is not a political, but economic question that may be solved later.

To the question, how Teheran regards the recent Azerbaijan-American doctrines on protection of petroleum platforms, Gazai said "each country understands its interests better, and Iran does not interfere with businesses of others". However, Teheran considers that the more peace will be in the Caspian, the better the littoral countries will feel.

Concerning relations between Azerbaijan and Iran in the military sphere, Gazai said Iran is ready to cooperate in this sphere. According to him, the Iranian delegation is expected to visit Azerbaijan to discuss cooperation questions, for realization of which consultings between defense ministries of the two countries are necessary.

The ambassador of Iran to Azerbaijan Ahad Gazai also stopped on the question concerning demilitarization of the Caspian. "Iran is firmly convinced that Caspian must not militarize. All the Caspian countries must treat the Caspian carefully and not force their military presence here", - the ambassador said. He paid attention to that "all riches of the Caspian given to it by the Most High should be preserved and used by all the Caspian countries and for rational use of these riches the Caspian must be a peaceful sea".

Let's remind that president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev stated at the press conference he led before starting from Moscow: "I support the idea of demilitarization of the Caspian. I think that the idea of demilitarization of the Caspian region does not contradict to achievement of any agreements, on the contrary, it will promote them. We want to make the Caspian a zone of peace, the same way as we act for demilitarization of the Caucasian region on the whole", - stated I.Aliyev. "The danger of arms race can grow as the countries increase their military potential, including in the Caspian", - the president of Azerbaijan said.

Neither Moscow is anxious of the Azerbaijan-American studies in the Caspian Sea. Vice minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, special representative of the president of Russian Federation on Caspian affairs Victor Kalyujniy stated this at the briefing in Moscow. "It is the right of each state to define how to provide its safety", - he stated. Kalyujniy reminded that the given studies are basically directed to protection against terrorism, including in petroleum objects. "Azerbaijan is the most real participant in works on the Caspian petroleum shelf, therefore it has full right to solve safety questions in its sector", - he noted emphasizing that the given studies are "only practical, technological, and not a political issue".

At the same press conference the president Aliyev informed that positions of Russia and Azerbaijan on the problem of the Caspian Sea "fully coincide". In his opinion, relations between Moscow and Baku in this sphere "can serve an example for all the Caspian countries".

It is interesting that Azerbaijan for the first time, by the lips of its new president expressed for complete disarmament of the Caspian basin. So far only the Iranian party was acting with this idea. The question is, how far the demilitarization of this reservoir is favorable for all the Caspian countries, and Azerbaijan in particular. And how, on the other hand, to really achieve the consent of five different states completely lost all the naval forces, having actually left without covering the coastal cities and villages. Here mutual trust is in the first place, and with it, as it is known, so far the quintuple of the Caspian countries have had very great problems.

"The military fleet is an expensive enough "toy", - noted informed source in naval circles. - Therefore if to refuse its contents, rather more money will remain in the budget. And secondly, as they say, better a bad peace than a good war". But thus, says the source, it must be taken into account that the consent to disarmament is just half the work. "Only one Caspian country - Russia has an opportunity to throw all kinds of ships into the Caspian by the Volgodonsk channel in the shortest time. All the other states actually have no such opportunity". That is, where to put the naval units suddenly written off is a very complex question.

Estimating prospects of achieving arrangement about complete demilitarization of the Caspian between the five interested parties, the source said: "I shall tell so, these countries have been trying to solve the problem of sea differentiation, legal status of the Caspian for the recent 10 years, and so far they have been unable to do this You make further conclusions".

Presently Azerbaijan holds the second place after Russia for the number of arms in the Caspian, the source informed, "but the case is that Iran began to build the ships planned to place directly in this sea, in particular, these are rocket boats". Let's note also that neither Turkmenistan, nor Kazakhstan refuses from the plans of expanding military presence in the Caspian yet. The first buys boats from Ukraine and rents units of the same class at Iran, the second is engaged in creation of full-scale NF with the naval school and factory on repair and construction of new ships.