Majilis OKs bill ratifying Convention on Caspian Sea legal status
According to Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov, negotiations on the legal status of the sea lasted for more than 20 years. The parties held 5 Caspian summits, 7 meetings of Foreign Ministers of the Caspian Sea states, 52 sessions of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on the Drafting of the Convention.
"As a direct participant in the negotiation process, I can safely say that the delegations of the littoral states have done a lot of hard work on the fundamental document, taking into account the interests of all parties. All parties highly appreciated Kazakhstan's merits for this document, the personal contribution of the Head of our state, the success of the summit, its constructive stand throughout the negotiation process," the minister said at a plenary session of the Majilis.
He said that the fundamental principles of the littoral states' activities at sea, the rights and obligations of the parties with regard to the use of the Caspian Sea, including its waters, seabed, subsoil, natural resources and airspace above it, are enshrined in the document. In addition, this refers to the delineation of national zones, jurisdiction, and sovereignty, the exercise of sovereign rights to subsoil use, navigation, fishing, marine scientific research, issues of security cooperation.
"According to the Convention, the settlement of issues related to the Caspian Sea falls within the exclusive competence of the Caspian littoral states and is carried out on the ground of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, sovereign equality, non-use of force or threat of force, mutual respect, cooperation, non-interference in each other's internal affairs," the minister underlined.
The marine area is divided into internal waters, territorial waters, fishing zones and common water areas, where different legal regimes will be applied.
The delineation of the seabed and subsoil of the Caspian Sea in the sector is carried out in line with the arrangements between the neighboring and opposite states, taking into account the generally accepted norms and principles of international law, that is, based on separate agreements between the parties concerned.
"The Caspian Sea's ecological system and all its components are under comprehensive protection and conservation. Any activity at sea must not harm the marine environment and biological diversity," he clarified.