Russia Interested in Peace in Caspian Region, Lavrov Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russia is interested in maintaining peace and stability in the Caspian region and stands for the development of cooperation on the basis of good neighborliness within the framework of the five coastal states, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"The vital interests for Russia are the maintenance of peace, stability and security in the Caspian region, its sustainable development based on good neighborliness, trust and cooperation of the coastal states, the realization of the economic, including transit, potential of the Caspian Sea to the mutual benefit of the Caspian countries," Lavrov said in an article on cooperation in the Caspian region published on the website of the journal "International Affairs".
"To this end, Russia stands for the all-round development of multifaceted systemic cooperation within the Five, the gradual institutionalization of this process. We are actively working to expand ties with our neighbors in the region in all areas," Lavrov stressed, RIA Novosti reported.
The minister added that all Caspian issues should be resolved exclusively by the five coastal states on the basis of consensus, avoiding the negative impact of extra-regional forces.
At the same time, he noted that the "Caspian five", which in addition to Russia includes Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, is not going to fence off from the outside world, primarily in the economic sphere.