News on Youtube Dec 6 2017

Colleagues,

I would like to cordially welcome you to another meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian

littoral states.

This is our regular format.

We are meeting for the seventh time in the past few years.

We are pleased with how well the Caspian Five mechanism operates: an open interaction on

an equal and mutually respectful basis.

We discuss all issues that come up and search for best solutions together.

A solid multi-level dialogue system is up and running, which helps to maintain an atmosphere

of neighbourliness and mutual understanding on the Caspian.

As I said, there are regular meetings of heads of state and foreign ministers, and effective

sector-based discussion platforms.

I would especially like to note the activities of the Ad Hoc Working Group for the Elaboration

of a Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea at the level of our deputies,

the Intergovernmental Commission on the Conservation and Rational Use of Aquatic Biological Resources,

and the Committee on Hydrometeorology.

We praise the efforts of our countries' regions that are adjacent to the Caspian Sea

to expand direct contact.

We attach great importance to the dialogue between defence and law enforcement agencies,

and rescue services.

We expect our joint environmental activities to grow even more effective.

Today's agenda is packed, as a lot of issues have accumulated since our previous meeting

in July 2016 in Astana.

We would like to see how our experts' work is progressing on the Convention on the Legal

Status of the Caspian Sea.

We expect that the talks on this document will be completed at the next, fifth Caspian

summit in Kazakhstan, and that the Caspian Five will have the reliable legal foundation

they need to reach a higher level of interaction.

In addition to legal status, we need to discuss several practical aspects of the five countries'

economic, transport, environmental and security cooperation on the Caspian.

I think it is important to make every effort for the results of this meeting to contribute

to the preparations for the heads of state summit.

For more infomation >> Lavrov Welcomes Foreign Ministers Of Caspian Littoral States - Duration: 2:40.

-------------------------------------------

Lavrov's Statements Following Meeting Of Caspian Littoral States' Foreign Ministers - Duration: 4:38.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have completed the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the five Caspian states.

My colleagues asked me to update you on the results.

We have held a substantive discussion of the issues on the current Caspian agenda, paying

particular attention to the work on the draft Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian

Sea.

I announce with great satisfaction that we have found solutions to all the remaining

major issues related to the preparation of this document.

The text of the Convention is actually ready.

In the near future, it will be edited and finalised, and translated into the national

languages of the signatories, and each of the countries will perform the domestic procedure

preparing it for signing at the top level.

The Convention will be signed at the Fifth Caspian Summit, which will be held in Kazakhstan

in the first half of next year.

The final decision on the summit timeframe will be made by the leadership of Kazakhstan

once it makes sure that all the technical and legal aspects of work on the Convention's

text have been cleared.

The participants have stated their high opinion of the progress made on other aspects of the

contractual framework for cooperation between the littoral states in the most important

areas.

They confirmed the successful implementation of the 2014 Astrakhan summit decisions.

In particular, all the agreements signed have come into force: on the bioresources, hydrometeorology

and prevention of emergencies in the Caspian region.

The intergovernmental commissions established on the basis of these three agreements have

held their opening meetings recently.

The five-sided moratorium on sturgeon fishing has been extended.

Last year and in the autumn of this year, the rescue services of all the five states

successfully operated in the water area of ​​the Caspian Sea.

We have agreed to continue to vigorously promote the implementation of new promising joint

projects, especially in the transport sector with its various aspects – from infrastructure

development and commercial navigation to improving navigation safety – and the deepening of

economic cooperation between the Caspian Five.

At the initiative of Turkmenistan, we are intensively preparing intergovernmental agreements

on economic and transport cooperation.

We have agreed to document cooperation between our law enforcement agencies in their efforts

to fight poaching, terrorism and organised crime as separate protocols.

We have positively evaluated the interaction between our defence ministries in the Caspian

Sea.

This year, almost all coastal states exchanged friendly visits by their Navy ships.

In summer, the Sea Cup 2017 international contest was held with great success.

Joint exercises are planned for next year.

The draft Agreement on the Prevention of Incidents in the Caspian Sea is at a very advanced stage

of coordination; it lays the groundwork for a strong system of confidence-building measures

in the region.

We expect to propose all these documents I have mentioned, which are now being discussed

at the expert level, for approval at the Kazakhstan summit along with the draft Caspian Sea status

convention.

We have specifically touched upon the implementation of the framework Tehran Convention for the

Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, noting the five countries'

readiness to adopt the Protocol on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context

(EIA) to the Tehran Convention as soon as possible.

The Russian Federation expects this Protocol to be signed before the signing of the Convention

or simultaneously with its approval by the heads of state.

Overall, I am greatly satisfied with the meeting results.

We have completed almost two decades of work on the Convention and submitted it for approval

to our heads of state.

We expect them to support it.

We will continue to work on the development of Caspian cooperation.