Iran’s territorial interests have been fully safeguarded in the Convention, he said, adding, “today, Iran has been turned into a powerful country both in the regional and international arenas.”
Turning to the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, he said, “the Convention has been negotiated by member states for 21 years.”
Today, Islamic Republic of Iran has been turned into a powerful country and US exertion of pressure against Iran is a sign of isolation of the United States in the international arena, he said, adding, “under such circumstances, most countries do not support the US in this respect.”
One of the main objectives of the government is to increase interactions with its neighbors and in this regard, Islamic Republic of Iran has established very intimate and good relationship with its northern countries, Zarif emphasized.
The Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea will lead to the enhanced relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and neighboring countries, he reiterated.
About 20 years ago, an agreement was reached between Russia and Kazakhstan with regard to the division of resources of the Caspian Sea, based on which, Kazakhstan and Russia accounted for 30 and 18 percent share of the Sea respectively, the foreign minister emphasized.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he once again stipulated that the current Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea will secure Iran’s national interests and said, “Iran’s territorial interests have been safeguarded in the Convention, because, the Leadership and President are very sensitive to the country’s territorial interests.”
It is a sheer mistake to imagine that Iran’s share of the Caspian Sea is 50%, he said, adding, “Islamic Republic of Iran had already claimed that the Caspian Sea has been shared between the Caspian Sea littoral states, so that the idea of a 50 percent share of Iran from the Caspian Sea is wrong.”
The Convention has numerous advantages for the Islamic Republic of Iran in terms of land, economy and security, so that signing and sealing this Convention is an honor and pride for the people of this land and territory, Zarif opined.
'There are kilometers of pipelines in the Caspian Sea which date back to the era of the former Soviet Union and no one used to consult us in this regard. But this does not bring them any right,' Zarif said.
The foreign minister made it clear 'Demarcation of the sea has not been done yet and Iran's territorial integrity has been preserved in the Convention. Preparations have been made for future negotiations.'
On the latest developments concerning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Zarif said the Europeans have acted well concerning their commitment to the deal and they are now standing up to their ally, Zarif concluded.
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