Kazakhstan has spoken in favor of the demilitarization of the Caspian Sea and subsequently against the creation of a joint fleet of Caspian states, Kazakh Ambassador to Azerbaijan Serik Primbetov said according to Interfax.
"Kazakhstan adheres to the principle of demilitarizing the Caspian Sea. We think that one should not heat up [tensions] and create a navy of the five Caspian nations," Primbetov told a news conference in Baku on Friday.
It would be better for the Caspian nations to organize regattas, yacht competitions and cruises instead of creating a joint navy, the ambassador said.
"And the main thing is that the leets the Caspian states rather that of other countries are present on the Caspian Sea. We will stick to this position in the future," the diplomat said.
Primbetov noted that the special working group on the status of the Caspian Sea will convene in the Baku on July 23 - 24. The meeting will address the issues of the status and security of the Caspian Sea.
"There are no problems on the surface of the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia. There are problems with Iran and Turkmenistan only. And rapprochement has been underway with Turkmenistan. There is only Iran left," he said.
Primbetov expressed the opinion that Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan should have agreed on the division of the Caspian Sea after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and then held talks with Iran in the 4 + 1 format, offering just a part of the sea that stipulated by