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Eastern Caspian
27
Environment and Security
1
935
Astara
-
Gasa
n
-K
u
li line
RUSSIA
KAZAKHSTAN
AZERBAIJAN
I R A N
TURK.
RUSSIA
KAZAKHSTAN
AZERBAIJAN
I R A N
TURK.
The uncertain status of the Caspian Sea
If the Caspian was a sea...
If the Caspian was a lake...
Soviet border
Claims of the riparian countries
Contiguous zone 24 Miles (44 km)
Territorial waters 12 Miles (22 km)
1
935
Astara
-
Gasa
n
-K
u
li line
RUSSIA
KAZAKHSTAN
AZERBAIJAN
I R A N
TURK.
RUSSIA
KAZAKHSTAN
AZERBAIJAN
I R A N
TURK.
The unc rtain st tus of the Caspian Se
If the Caspian was se ...
If the Caspian was lake...
Soviet border
Claims of the riparian count ies
Contiguous zone 24 Miles (4 km)
Territorial waters 12 Mil (2 km)
of the Caspian Environmental Program are
certainly positive examples of the ability of
the Caspian states to operate in multilateral
policy frameworks to develop alternative
sources of regulation and decision-making.
In the meeting held in Tehran on 16 Octo-
ber 2007, the Presidents of the five Caspian
states (MFA RF 2007) not only underlined the
importance of developing legal documents
regulating that status of the Caspian Sea
but also highlighted their concerns over the
state of the environment in the Caspian as
well as the importance of enhancing en-
vironmental cooperation and coordination
of national policies in order to improve the
protection and use of biological resourc-
es. At the same time, the combination of
geopolitical and national interests with the
profound changes occurring in the region
is such that the model based on compe-
tition will continue to influence events in
the region.
In keeping with concerns mentioned above,
in April 2005 the American Department of
Defence announced a major restructuring
of the US military presence overseas which
foresees closing some military facilities in
Europe and East Asia and redeploying forces
in other regions including South East Asia,
Africa or the Caspian Region (Klare, 2006)
20
.
Since the late 1990s the US has increased
military cooperation with (training and arms
Source: Vital Caspian Graphics 2005
Map produced by UNEP/GRID-Arendal, August 2008