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Foreign ministers of Caspian states to discuss organisation of Caspian summit

MOSCOW, April 20, /ITAR-TASS/. Foreign ministers of Caspian states will discuss in Moscow on April 22 preparations for the fourth Caspian summit, Russia’s foreign ministry reports.

The conference will feature foreign ministers of Russia - Sergei Lavrov, of Azerbaijan - Elmar Mamedyarov, Iran - Javad Zarif, Kazakhstan - Erlan Idrisov, and of Turkmenistan - Rashid Meredov.

The participants in the meeting will be devoted to preparations for the fourth Caspian summit, which at the invitation of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will take place in autumn in Russia’s Astrakhan. The ministers will discuss the programme and agenda, as well as drafts of final documents. They will analyse the work of local experts on implementation of decisions, the previous summit /in Baku, in 2010/ made, in the spheres like a modern legal status of the Caspian Sea, security and response to common challenges and threats, environment, rational use of water biological resources, prevention and overcoming emergency situations.

“Regular conferences of foreign ministers representing the Caspian region is an effective mechanism of cooperation in the region,” the Russian foreign ministry said. “This format is based on the high level of trust and mutual understanding on key issues of the Caspian agenda and allows offering commonly acceptable solutions on most complicated issues on the basis of consensus, in the atmosphere of friendship and good neighbourhood. The main base for these contacts is the adherence of the five countries to maintaining the water basin as a zone of peace and security and to development of the potential of mutually advantageous cooperation in various spheres.”

“Russia observes completely all agreements on the Caspian Sea, we are for further intensification of the dialogue between Caspian countries,” the foreign ministry said. “We are paying special attention to the successful organisation of the upcoming conference.

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