THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE CASPIAN SEA: AN IRANIAN PERSPECTIVE

The Caspian Sea is considered to be one of the most significant strategic regions in the world in terms of including vast mineral resources. For this reason, the problem of sharing of natural resources between the coastal states (Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan) has continued for a long time. Apart from the five coastal states, especially Europe, USA, India and China, whose energy needs continue to rise day by day, have started to move towards the Caspian Basin, thus resulting in a constant struggle for hegemony in the region. Consisting of 24 articles, the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea was settled on 12 August 2018 between Caspian coastal countries in Aktau after 22 years of discussions involving five summits and 50 special working group meetings. The Convention has granted the Caspian Sea a new “special legal status” raising important questions about the decisions taken in the deal and it is regarded to be inadequate in resolving complex issues in terms of maritime borders and the fair delimitation of its resources. The division of the mineral-rich seabed will also be determined by negotiations in the future. In this regard, this paper aims to outline the views and the efforts of Iran to develop a legal regime for the sea and to evaluate the decisions of the Aktau summit with regard to its effects on Iran.