Kazakh parliament ratifies Caspian security cooperation accord
ASTANA. June 26 (Interfax) - The Senate, the upper chamber of Kazakhstan's parliament, has adopted a bill ratifying an agreement on cooperation in security measures in the Caspian Sea area, an Interfax correspondent reported.
The document, which was signed by Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkmenistan in Baku on November 18, 2010, will now be submitted to the Kazakh president for signing.
The agreement will regulate the five Caspian littoral countries' cooperation in combating terrorism, organized crime, the illicit trade in arms, ammunition, military hardware, explosives and toxic agents, as well as drug smuggling, psychotropic substances and their precursors.
By signing this document, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkmenistan also pledged to work together to crack down on money laundering and smuggling, protect ships from pirates, as well as fight against trafficking in humans, illegal immigration and poaching.
In addition to that, the agreement allows these states to share information by submitting written requests seeking such assistance. The authorities of these countries will be required to guarantee the confidentiality of this information, should such a need arise.
