In honor of the International Day of the Caspian, which is annually celebrated on August 12 by the five Caspian states, a scientific-practical conference «Cooperation in the field of protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea» was held in Ashgabat.
The event was held both in a traditional and online format with the participation of representatives of the relevant ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, diplomatic missions of the Caspian states in Turkmenistan, as well as various international structures.
The conference participants discussed the main directions of international cooperation in the field of protection and sustainable development of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea, sustainable and rational use of its biological resources.
According to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, signed by representatives of the five Caspian countries in November 2003 in Tehran, the parties pledged to take independent or joint actions to prevent pollution and negative impact on the marine environment of the Caspian Sea, to use resources without damaging its marine environment. It should also be noted that the parties signed two documents - the Protocol on the protection of the Caspian Sea from pollution from land-based sources and as a result of activities carried out on land, as well as the Protocol on regional preparedness, response and cooperation in case of incidents causing oil pollution.
In turn, the Turkmen experts spoke about the environmental policy being implemented under the wise leadership of the Respected President of the country, as the basis for the development of friendship and cooperation in the Caspian region, as well as measures taken to protect and scientific research of the natural resources of the Caspian.
One of the key topics of the conference was the development of cooperation in the field of hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea. In this regard, the Coordination Committee for Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea (CASPCOM) is implementing the Intergovernmental Comprehensive Program for the period until 2023.
The activities of CASPCOM, which unites the national meteorological organizations of the Caspian countries, is aimed at the formation and development of a regional system for obtaining hydrometeorological information on the state of the Caspian in order to ensure the safety of navigation and other activities in the water area and coastal areas of the sea.