MOSCOW, September 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is confident that the initiatives to be worked out at a Caspian Business Forum will help strengthen cooperation and promote the development of direct contacts between the business communities, says a message of greetings by the Russian leader to participants and guests of the forum. The text of the message has been circulated by the Kremlin press service.

The presidential message reads, in part, as follows, "Relations among the Caspian states traditionally develop in the spirit of friendship and good neghborliness. We respect the legitimate interests of one another, and proceed from common responsibility for the future of the Caspian Sea. Partnership among our business communities is also based on the same principles."

In the message addressed to the participants in the forum, Putin points out, "The agenda of the forum comprises a broad spectrum of items connected with the deepening of trade and economic relations, an improvement of the investment climate and wider co-production arrangements in industry, energy, agriculture, healthcare, and other fields. You are expected to consider possibilities for devising advanced research-intensive production processes, an effective transport system and jointly to think out comprehensive measures which would make it possible to better tap the unique potential of the Caspian Sea and form a capacious and effectively functioning market in the region adjacent to it".

The Russian president emphasizes in the message, "I am convinced that proposals and initiatives worked out during the forum will help strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and promote an increase in direct contacts between the business communities of the Caspian countries".

The 4th Caspian Summit will be held in Astrakhan on Monday. It will be attended by the leaders of all the five Caspian states: Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. Kremlin analysts expect that the leaders' meeting will bring about incremental changes in the long negotiating process regarding the status and delimitation of the Caspian Sea area.