The importance of the Caspian Sea is increasing against the background of an unprecedented "global storm". Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said this on Wednesday at the sixth Caspian summit in Ashgabat.
"Under the conditions of an unprecedented "global storm" the special importance of the Caspian Sea increases because of its geostrategic location, availability of the richest natural resources and unique transit potential," he said.
According to the president, the immediate entry into force of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea is a priority. "For four years we have been painstakingly working to find mutually acceptable solutions to this issue. We are sympathetic to the positions of the parties since these issues directly affect national interests," Tokayev explained.
He also said that with the breakdown of traditional logistics chains, transport interconnectivity is becoming a key factor for sustainable growth and strengthening economic ties of the countries in the region. "The role of the Trans-Caspian international transport route for ensuring transit flows between Europe, Central Asia and China has significantly increased. Particular attention should be paid to the further development of the promising North-South corridor. For this purpose, we could make maximum use of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railroad, which is the shortest route between East Asia and the Persian Gulf countries. This new logistic solution allows over 6,000 km to be covered in just 12 days," said the president.
Food security
According to him, strengthening food security in the region is of particular relevance. "Kazakhstan has the potential to increase exports of meat and dairy products. In order to strengthen trade cooperation between our states, it is necessary to consistently develop a modern logistics infrastructure. Therefore, we propose to create a Caspian food hub, which will allow increasing mutual trade turnover with minimal costs," Tokayev pointed out.
In this connection, he reminded that the construction of modern wholesale and distribution centers with a technologically advanced system of warehousing, storage and sale of food products has begun in Kazakhstan. "System integration of these centers with the Caspian food hub could open new opportunities for effective cooperation of farmers, buyers, carriers, sellers and consumers. And most importantly, it would provide reliable guarantees of sales of all products supplied," the leader of Kazakhstan said.
With concern for the environment
In addition, he said one of the key areas of cooperation remains the preservation of the Caspian Sea ecosystem. "Economic development and the well-being of millions of people on the Caspian coast are closely connected with the task of preserving the natural environment of the transboundary body of water. The active exploitation of subsoil resources and the transportation of resources carry great risks for the ecology of the region. In addition, the challenges of global warming and related climate change pose a threat to water resources," the president said.
Tokayev also pointed to the need to take coordinated and effective measures to save the transboundary Ural River. "We call on all parties to unite their efforts and work out a common plan of action to improve the condition of the Ural River. Speaking about environmental problems of our common sea, I cannot but mention the plight of the Caspian seals. The facts of their periodical death cause serious concerns", he admitted.
Expert cooperation
In addition, the president of Kazakhstan called on the Caspian states to create a union of analytical structures for effective cooperation at the expert level. "Today, our countries have already established effective cooperation at the expert level at many international platforms. Summits and meetings are preceded by expert discussions. I think it would also be useful to form a kind of consortium of analytical structures of the "Caspian Five". The more so since such interaction is successfully carried out at the bilateral level," Tokayev explained.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS