Ashgabat joins Caspian Sea convention

Turkmenistan on Sunday signed a landmark treaty designed to protect the fragile environment of the Caspian Sea. Ministers from the other four littoral countries - Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation - all signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea at a ceremony in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on 4 November. Officials said that Turkmenistan's initial failure to sign was simply due to "procedural issues", although there is still political mistrust between the co-signatory nations. "Turkmenistan was initially reluctant to sign as it felt this might have implications for the legal regime of the sea. The change in position appeared to be sudden, but in fact it was incremental and came about under persistent pressure from Iran and the international organizations," Hamid Ghaffarzadeh, the programme coordinator for the Caspian Environment Programme, the umbrella organisation for the five littoral countries and the international agencies, told IRIN. The Caspian Sea is the largest saltwater lake in the world, but is also home to one of the world's richest oil reserves, so, unsurprisingly, its boundaries are fiercely contested. With Turkmenistan's signature, the treaty is now a legally binding document. It is the first treaty on any subject to be adopted by the five neighbours and therefore a major step forward in diplomatic relations. The implementation of this Convention means that Iran can rest assured that there will be no trilateral or bilateral agreements from which it is left out. The treaty, negotiated under the auspices of United Nations Environment Programme and financially supported by the UN, the EU and the World Bank, aims to reverse ecological and environmental damage in the Caspian Sea area caused by industrial pollution, sewage and leaks from oil refineries. The sea also suffers from uncontrolled fishing of the caviar-producing sturgeon, the over-exploitation of marine resources, and the destruction of the region's biological diversity. Its water levels are also currently rising, which is threatening coastal communities and ecosystems. UN Secretary General Kofi Anan earlier issued a statement hailing the treaty as an important step forward for the region.