Oriented on making people closer

The results of the VI Caspian Summit, held in Ashgabat on Wednesday, June 29, were announced in a press statement made by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov.

The diplomat said that the meeting of the heads of the Caspian states was held in a constructive working manner, in the spirit of good neighborliness, mutual trust, respect and openness.

A detailed and interested exchange of views took place on the main issues of the five-sided cooperation in the Caspian Sea. The implementation of previous decisions and agreements was analyzed and the directions and priorities of further joint work were determined.

The heads of the Caspian littoral States reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring lasting peace, stability and security in the region, combining efforts and potentials to implement confidence-building measures in the Caspian Sea, and creating a comprehensive political and legal framework for this.

The Presidents of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Russia are united in ensuring that in the conditions of the current global turbulence, the region is reliably guaranteed from its consequences and impact, being an example of good neighborliness, mutual understanding and development. "The responsibility for this lies entirely with our countries - it is common, integral, indivisible and cannot be delegated outside the Caspian states," Meredov said.

In this context, they reaffirmed their determination to continue close coordination of efforts in the fight against terrorist threats in the Caspian Sea, drug trafficking, organized crime, and other types of illegal activities. The position of the countries here is united and uncompromising.

During the meeting, the issues of economic cooperation in the Caspian Sea were carefully considered. In the light of the growing geo-economic importance of the basin, there is an understanding and a desire to consistently develop cooperation in the transport, logistics, and communication spheres aimed at turning the Caspian into a major international hub of transcontinental partnership along the East-West and South-North lines.

Currently, the Caspian countries are making efforts to build port infrastructure, create logistics chains of communication, schemes of mutually beneficial partnership in the energy sector. And this work will be given priority.

According to the Minister, the summit stressed the need to develop and expand trade relations between the coastal states, increase trade turnover, and closer industrial cooperation. It was noted that Turkmenistan made a proposal today to establish the Council of Business Cooperation of the Caspian States as an independent platform for doing business, entrepreneurial initiatives.

Ecology, nature protection, conservation of biological resources of the Caspian Sea have also become important topics of discussion. Cooperation mechanisms have already been established for them. The task is to give their work a more coherent and substantive character. The parties agreed to continue creating conditions for strengthening and enriching friendly ties, developing humanitarian contacts, and expanding cultural cooperation added Meredov.

In general, the summit participants highly appreciated its content, constructive attitude, commitment to common creative goals, agreeing in the necessity and usefulness of continuing the meetings at the highest level of the Caspian countries on a regular basis.

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