A significant date - the Day of the Caspian Sea - is solemnly celebrated every year on the picturesque coast of the National Tourist Zone Avaza. Today, the Caspian Sea plays an important place to connect the Caspian states. At the Sixth Caspian Summit held in Ashgabat in 2022, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed the importance of five-sided cooperation in ensuring lasting, long-term and indivisible security in the Caspian Sea. “Together we must make sure that the Caspian region remains a zone of stability and trust, not subject to risks for peace and development. Turkmenistan, being an active participant in the Caspian-wide dialogue, is ready to continue to facilitate this process, to interestedly discuss and find decisions concerted on all issues. We have no closed or inconvenient topics, we are ready to reach further agreements together with our partners, to interact on specific areas of the Caspian agenda,” the head of Turkmenistan stated, designating the Caspian Sea a sea of opportunities.

On August 12, 2006, the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian came into force. The historic document was signed in Tehran in November 2003 by representatives of the five Caspian states: the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan.

The annual holiday, celebrated by the coastal countries, is aimed at attracting public attention to the environmental safety of the reservoir, maintaining and preserving its unique ecosystem.

On this day, exhibitions and events are held on the territory of the Balkan velayat, in particular, in the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone, talking about the peculiarities of the flora and fauna of the Caspian Sea. 

The largest inland water body, with a total area of 371,000 square kilometers, has no natural outlet to the World Ocean. At the same time, the Caspian Sea is a natural habitat for many unique species of animals: the Caspian seal, the Caspian lamprey, beluga, stellate sturgeon, sterlet, black-backed, Caspian sprat. Also, the sea area is the most important site of seasonal bird migration.

Today in the Caspian states work is underway on documents on cooperation in ensuring safety of navigation, in the field of search and rescue, combating poaching, through science and culture.

A kind of support for the preservation of the Caspian "pearl" can also become joint humanitarian projects that reveal historical and cultural roots promoting scientific and educational programs, tourist and sporting events, as well as environmental activities, instilling in the younger generation concern for the environment.

As it is known, the Tehran Convention serves as a comprehensive framework management that establishes general requirements and institutional mechanism for environmental protection and sustainable development in the region Caspian Sea. The United Nations also supports the position of Turkmenistan on compliance with ecological safety of the reservoir, rational use of its bioresources and minerals, as well as the initiative of the Turkmen parties to develop an Agreement on scientific research on Caspian Sea in order to increase the effectiveness of joint activities in this direction. The United Nations is ready to take part and provide technical support in the implementation of the initiative of Turkmenistan on the creation of a New Caspian Environmental Program as a set of environmental measures to ensure the rational use of rich natural resources Caspian, including in matters of practical implementation of the provisions Tehran convention in ecology, economy and social sphere.

Shasenem MEYLISOVA,

The 2nd year student of Faculty of International Relations of

The Institute of International Relations of

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.