Iranian Nation Determined to Protect Caspian Sea

Tehran Times, 16 May 2002

TEHRAN -May 16, 2002 - President Seyed Mohammad Khatami said on Wednesday afternoon in Noushahr Port, Mazandaran Province that the Islamic Republic of Iran is against any kind of unilateral and inflammatory measure in the Caspian Sea.

Speaking in the gathering of thousands of people in the Noushahr stadium, Khatami said that Iran is willing to continue logical negotiations to determine the legal regime of the Caspian Sea fairly so that all the Caspian littoral states would be fairly provided with Caspian resources.

Khatami said that Iran is against the interference of foreign powers in the Caspian affairs adding that the Caspian Sea belongs to the five coastal countries.

President Khatami also stressed that the Caspian Sea is the sea of peace and should remain the same, and that the Iranian nation deems itself bound to protect the sea.

Further in his remarks, Khatami said that the 1921 and 1940 agreements between Iran and Russia are the only valid legal documents in the Caspian Sea and that any kind of measures to determine the legal regime of the Caspian should be based on these two treatis.

He added that Iran would not come short of its fair and natural rights in the Caspian Sea, and tries to reach an agreement with the other littoral states of the Caspian Sea in order to establish a legal regime for the inland sea, so that al lthe countries in this region would fairly enjoy its divine resources.

President Khatami referred to shipping, fishing, environment and other capacities of the Caspian Sea, as significant issues which would defenitely benefit the regional countries and added that this critical region in the world should become one of the most significant and popular tourism centers in the world.