Kazakh foreign minister calls on counterparts from Caspian states to reach consensus on convention on sea's legal status
ASTANA. July 13 (Interfax) - Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov expects the foreign ministers of the Caspian countries to reach a consensus on adopting a convention on the Caspian Sea's legal status at a conference on Wednesday.
"Today's negotiations manifest the Caspian states' truly friendly attitude and a general desire to cooperate and interact closely," Idrissov said at a ministerial conference of the Caspian states in Astana on Wednesday.
"I am calling on my distinguished friends and counterparts to display as much willingness to seek a consensus and mutually beneficial solutions as possible and make efforts to achieve the primary goal, namely the soonest possible conclusion of a convention on the Caspian Sea's legal status," Idrissov said.
"Definitely, our principal efforts will be focused on completing the clearance of a draft convention on the Caspian Sea's legal status. This founding legal document is intended to lay solid groundwork for future relations in the Caspian and ensure stable and sustainable development of the entire Caspian region," he said.
"Today's negotiations are special in that their participants are supposed to fulfill the instructions from the Caspian states' leaders to complete the work on a draft convention and prepare it for signature at the 5th summit in Kazakhstan," he said.
"We stand ready to make as much effort as possible to settle all fundamental issues regarding a draft convention. I am sure such a result can well be achieved, provided that all partners display good will and agreement for a compromise, taking into consideration each other's interests," he said.