Iran says Caspian Sea convention move unrelated to recent war

Iran’s move toward ratifying a convention governing the legal status of the Caspian Sea is unrelated to the recent war and its consequences, the foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.

“The dimensions of the Caspian Sea legal status document have been under review by various institutions since it was signed in 2018, and we take our interests into consideration,” told a press conference.

The convention was sent to parliament for consideration and a decision after several years of review, Baghaei said.

The agreement can only enter into force once all five Caspian littoral states have ratified and joined it, making the other four countries’ interest in accelerating the process natural, he added.

Baghaei said the convention does not determine Iran’s share of the Caspian Sea or address the question of baselines used to delimit maritime areas.

By Vafa Guliyeva