International-Legal Status of Caspian Sea in Its Historical Development

Authors : Rustam MAMEDOV

Pages : 107-137

Doi:10.1501/Intrel_0000000012

View : 13 | Download : 13

Publication Date : 2000-05-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In retrospective, the geopolitical description of the Caspian Sea is rooted in the depth of thousand years. It vvas studied and described by scientists and travellers since antiquity. Some of them reckoned that the Caspian Sea had been connected vvith Black Sea. Other thought it as lake. The discussion on the status of the Caspian Sea started during the period vvhen the confrontation betvveen Russia and Persia, as vvell as, Russia and Great Britain for possession of the Caspian territories, vvas under vvay. A vievv, vvhich argued that the Caspian vvas a elosed sea, vvas the most popular in former Soviet legal science. It states that as the Caspian Sea is not linked to neither open sea nor ocean, it should, according to international lavv, be considered as a elosed sea. Hovvever, there vvas also an argument that even vvithout a link to ocean, Caspian Sea vvas a typical boundary lake situated betvveen tvvo states: the Soviet Union and Iran. On the other hand, the collapse of the Soviet Union and emergence of three nevv states on the shores of the Caspian brought about fresh discussions on the legal status of the Caspian, as the nevvly-independent states argued for the delimitation of the Caspian on the national sectors basis. It seems that the exclusive control över Caspian Sea is a praclice of past and thus has became obsolete.
Keywords : International Lavv, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, International Reations