Khalaf Khalafov: Convention on status of Caspian Sea - new milestone in history of Caspian countries

BAKU. KAZINFORM "The signing of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea is a new milestone in the history of the Caspian countries," the head of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan, Khalaf Khalafov, said at the first meeting of the High Level Working Group on the Implementation of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea with the participation of representatives of the Caspian states in Baku.

Khalafov stressed that following the fifth Caspian summit, a historical document was signed, which was the result of 26-year discussions, Trend reports.

He said that friendly relations have been established between the countries of the Caspian region, they all respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each other.

"The signing of this document contributed to the further development of relations between the Caspian countries. Maintaining legal status is the main goal," he said.

Speaking about the working group, Khalafov noted that its main tasks are to discuss issues of strengthening ties between countries.

"Since this is the first meeting of the working group, today we will solve organizational issues and discuss the tasks set for us by the heads of our states. Procedural rules will be approved and how this group will function in the future, as well as how it should be ratified," Khalafov said.

Khalafov also noted that the parties will discuss the method of establishing direct baselines in the Caspian Sea.

On Aug. 12, 2018, the presidents of five Caspian countries signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea at the 5th summit of the heads of Caspian countries in Aktau. The Convention is a historic document for the region, the work on which has been carried out for two decades since 1996.