|
Каспинфо май 2002 |
|
Название: Геополитические проблемы Каспия на англ. языке Главные Пункты: * Иран выступает против деятельности зарубежных нефтяных компаний на спорных месторождениях Каспия, т.к. иностранные силы намеренно препятствуют разрешению проблемы статуса моря. * 9 июня Россия и Азербайджан подпишут Соглашение, в котором будут определены принципы разграничения дна Каспийского моря и координаты срединной линии, заявил замминистра иностранных дел Азербайджана Х.Халафов. * и др. сообщения. (27.05.2002) Полный Текст Геополитические проблемы Каспия на англ. языке Геополитические проблемы Каспия на англ. языке *** /13:57 20.05.2002/ Iran says foreigners block Caspian resolution Tehran, May 20, 2002. (CNA). Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed foreign powers on Sunday for blocking a resolution to a dispute over the Caspian Sea. He made the comments to Azeri President Haydar Aliyev, on a three-day visit to Iran for talks expected to concentrate on the thorny issue of dividing the resources of the oil-rich sea, Reuters reports. Iran, with massive oil reserves elsewhere, is opposed to the presence of Western foreign energy companies in the strategic area. "The problem of the Caspian Sea could be solved through dialogue, but some international big powers are not in favour of solving regional problems, including that of the sea," state radio quoted Khamenei as saying. The sea is also bordered by Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Of the five, Iran and Azerbaijan are the furthest from agreement on the issue of oil rights. Azerbaijan, helped by Western firms, has already started extracting oil from what it sees as its part of the sea to bring much-needed dollars to the fledgling republic. The Caspian contains huge oil and gas reserves. One oil executive with projects in the region says he expects the area to produce 3.8 million barrels per day of crude by 2010. Despite the disagreement with Iran, the Azeri leader sounded a conciliatory note. "Azerbaijan, as well as Iran, believes the Caspian Sea should be a sea of peace, understanding and cooperation," he said. Tension between the neighbouring countries peaked last year when an Iranian gunboat and military aircraft forced two Azeri research vessels hired by British oil firm BP to retreat from an oil field claimed by both Iran and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan called on Iran to solve the problem through negotiations, but Iran said no work should be carried out in the disputed fields before a solution was reached. Aliyev also called on Iran's assistance in talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia to solve a long-running simmering conflict between the Caucasus neighbours. "We believe this conflict should be solved through dialogue and Iran should participate in talks," he said. Azerbaijan fought a fierce civil war with breakaway ethnic Armenians from 1988 over the mainly ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh until a shaky ceasefire in 1994. Mostly Muslim Azerbaijan came off worst in the conflict with the Christian Armenians, backed by Armenia, ending up controlling vast swathes of Azerbaijan outside the enclave and displacing up to a million Azeris. CNA/www.caspian.ru *** /12:40 22.05.2002/ Russian officials to hold meeting on Caspian development Moscow, May 22, 2002. (CNA). The CIS affairs committee of the Russian Federation Council will start a two-day meeting in Astrakhan today. RBC reports that the regulative foundation of Russia's interests in the Caspian basin will be the main issue on the agenda. Members of the parliament's upper house, representatives of the Foreign, Transport, Energy and Interior Ministry as well as the State Customs Committee and the Federal Border Service will take part in this meeting. Committee members are also expected to participate in the 2nd International Oil & Gas Summit 'the Caspian Sea of the 21st Century: from Politics to Business'. CNA/www.caspian.ru *** /14:16 30.05.2002/ Russian, Azerbaijani agreement on Caspian to establish principles of meridian line Baku, May 30, 2002. (CNA). An agreement between Russia and Azerbaijan on the Caspian, which is to be signed on June 9 in St. Petersburg, is to define the principle of dividing the sea bed and the coordinates of the meridian line, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said at a meeting with journalists as part of the international oil and gas summit Caspian 21: from Politics to Business, in Astrakhan. He said that in establishing the coordinates of the meridian line, world practice would be used in dividing the seabed. As regards the division of the Caspian, all bilateral issues will be decided by this agreement, the deputy minister said. Interfax reports that Khalafov noted that the coordinates have already been agreed. In addition, he said that the principle of establishing the exact coordinates repeats the principle for dividing the seabed between Russia and Kazakhstan. He added that the agreement includes the principle for operations at new fields that may be discovered on the border. For the Yalama-Samursky field, located on the border between Russia and Azerbaijan, all issues should be ironed out by June 9. We have no major differences, Khalafov said. He also said that a rapprochement in the positions of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan has been noted. At the moment, he said, talks are underway to establish the coordinates of the meridian line between those two countries. After the coordinates are established, all talk of disputed fields will stop, he said. As reported earlier, Turkmenistan has laid claim to the Azeri field, which is being developed by Azerbaijan. According to the deputy minister, an agreement between Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on the division of the Caspian is a good basis for establishing the legal status of the Caspian. Khalafov said that Turkmenistan also supports the principle of a meridian line, although at the moment there is some disagreement over the method of establishing this line. Khalafov added that in using this method between three countries the main principles were applied, in particular it should be acknowledged by all, take concrete conditions in the Caspian region into consideration, and also give equal rights to all states. The deputy minister considers that there is no need to turn to international organizations, particularly the United Nations, for cooperation, as the negotiation potential of the five Caspian states has not yet been exhausted. He also said that during a visit by Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev to Iran a constructive spirit was noted in relations between Azerbaijan and Iran. It is planned that regular meetings will take place between experts at the level of the foreign ministries of both countries. The next meeting is planned for July. Khalafov also considers that the risk of a conflict erupting in the Caspian has fallen significantly after Aliyev's visit. CNA/www.caspian.ru *** CNA/www.caspian.ru |