Caspian States in Ashgabat Align on Marine Research Treaty

Five Caspian littoral states — Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan — held a meeting in Ashgabat to align on a draft agreement on scientific research in the Caspian Sea, according to Turkmenistan's foreign ministry.

"The current meeting is expected to contribute to further progress in finalizing agreement on the remaining provisions of the draft," the ministry said in a statement. The two-day negotiations conclude on Wednesday.

The initiative for scientific cooperation on the Caspian was proposed in 2018 by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who held the post of president of Turkmenistan at that time. In 2022, he transferred presidential powers to his son Serdar, but retains considerable influence and holds the official title of National Leader of the Turkmen people.

Myrat Atajanov, director of Turkmenistan's Caspian Sea Institute, warned of declining water levels in the sea and risks to offshore platforms, underwater pipelines, and coastal infrastructure. According to him, the 2018 Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea creates a framework for cooperation, but final sector delimitation is necessary for geological exploration, field development, and marine infrastructure planning.

Turkmenistan is pushing for completion of sector delimitation, linking it to legal certainty for offshore energy projects. In parallel, the country is seeking to become a transit hub of the Middle Corridor, which connects China and Central Asia with Europe.

Earlier this year, the Iranian government submitted the 2018 Convention to parliament for ratification after a prolonged delay. Tehran is the only one of the five countries whose parliament has yet to ratify the document. Critics in Iran had previously expressed concerns that the agreement infringes on the country's rights to marine resources, but Iranian officials stated that ratification would strengthen regional cooperation and protect Iran's maritime rights.