THE STATUS OF THE CASPIAN SEA IS FINALLY DEFINED

THE STATUS OF THE CASPIAN SEA IS FINALLY DEFINED

Since the Soviet Union ended to exist, the 5 coastal States (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan) could not come to the unanimous decision on the legal status and the division of the Caspian Sea and its resources.

Some of them counted the Caspian Sea to the subject of the international law of the sea and of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Others said it was a lake shared between the coastal States.

After the long discussions the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea was signed (12 August 2018) by members of all coastal states and settled a sui generis regime for the Caspian Sea, defining it neither as a lake nor as a sea.

Surface water will be used by all the coastal countries beyond territorial waters, but the seabed, rich in natural resources, will be divided between them.

Once all signatories have ratified it will enter into force.

Source link: The law of Azerbaijan Republic “On the approval of the Convention on the Status of the Caspian Sea”

Related Post