ID :
178295
Wed, 04/27/2011 - 13:35
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Azerbaijani deputy FM: Baku coordinates provisions for Convention on Caspian Sea Status (UPDATE-2)

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister's quote added following second paragraph (first version posted at 1:27 p.m.)
Azerbaijan, Baku, April 27 / Trend S. Agayeva /
Following the Third Presidents’ Summit in Baku, bilateral and multilateral meetings were aimed at promoting negotiations to confer on a draft convention designating the legal status of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov told media.
He said that the delegations continued coordinating the provisions of the draft Convention. They discussed issues related to the implementation of the protocol decision on the draft Presidents’ Convention, adopted after the last summit. Some provisions of the Convention were agreed upon in Baku during a meeting of the working group on the Caspian Sea, Khalafov said.
He said that certain progress was made following the Convention’s decisions, compiled in a framework document.
"Moreover, some issues still remain open, including shipping, military activity and security issues," Khalafov said.
The Azerbaijani side hopes that progress will be made in these issues before the Fourth Presidents’ Summit.
The working group meeting on drafting the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea issued a communiqué following the meeting.
The summit’s agenda will be developed at a regular meeting of the Working Group in Moscow, he said.
The heads of the Turkmen, Russian and Iranian delegations have also stressed some progress already made during the convention, during a meeting in Baku.
The delegations supported the results from the meeting, as these results contributed to the preparation of the draft convention.
The working group meeting on drafting the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea issued a communiqué following the meeting.
In November 2003, the Caspian countries signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea.
In July 1998 Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delineation of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use.
On Nov. 29, 2001, and Feb. 27, 2003, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delineation of the Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the delineation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.

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