Welcome to the Caspian Daily, where you will find the 10 most important things you need to know on Caspian Sea Region. We appreciate ideas, reports, news and interesting articles. Send along to Caspian[at]moderndiplomacy.eu or on Twitter: @DGiannakopoulos
1The year 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the recognition by the international community of the legal status of permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan in accordance with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution. For the first time in the history of the United Nations General Assembly, the adoption of the Special Resolution on 12 December 1995, entitled “On the Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan” became a recognition of the peaceful foreign policy of this country and an approval of the authoritative role of Turkmenistan as a state that can make a worthy contribution to the peaceful development of international relations and ensuring universal security and steady progress. Turkmen neutrality model assumes that contemporary international law is the law of peace, and that constantly, a neutral state must adhere to its status not only in wartime, but also in peacetime. As a new phenomenon in international legal practice, Turkmen neutrality has become the basis of a new concept of cooperation and achievement of world peace.
2Russia’s newly amended Maritime Doctrine took effect Sunday upon approval from President Vladimir Putin. The Doctrine underscored friendly relations with China in the Pacific Ocean as a key element of Russia’s naval policy.”Business cooperation in the naval sphere plays and important role in the development of trusting strategic bilateral relations,” the ministry stated.The two countries have conducted joint naval exercises, provided convoys for vessels and exchanged expertise, the statement said.According to the ministry, cooperation between the two countries contributes to peace and stability in the region and throughout the world. [Sputniknews]
3Oman, Iran close in on $60 billion gas plan. An Omani delegation is in Tehran for the finalization of the operational plan for transfer of the Iranian gas to the sultanate via a pipeline across the Persian Gulf, a top energy official says.“Currently, the Iranian adviser for studying (the subsea section of) the pipeline for 200 kilometers from Kuh-e Mubarak to Oman’s Sohar port has been chosen,” head the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) Alireza Kameli said Wednesday.The onshore section of the pipeline in Iran will be built for another 200 km from Rudan to Kuh-e Mubarak, he added.“According to the plan, engineering studies in both the offshore and onshore sections will be carried out simultaneously so that the implementation of the two lines does not hit a snag,” Kameli added.The $60 billion deal was concluded during President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Muscat in 2013 to ship 10 million cubic meters per day of the Iranian gas to Oman for a period of 15 years.
4Greece, Azerbaijan resuming DESFA talks. Next week, the Greek government will resume talks with Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR on the sale of a controlling interest in Greece’s gas transmission system operator DESFA, the Kathimerini newspaper quoted Panos Skourletis, the productive reconstruction, environment and energy minister of Greece, as saying July 29. The main topic of discussion, as Skourletis said, will be the share in DESFA, which will be sold to SOCAR.In early May, Bloomberg reported that Greece’s government is considering the sale of 49 percent share in DESFA to SOCAR.SOCAR won a tender in December 2013 on the sale of the 66 percent share in DESFA for 400 million euros.Currently, the deal is being considered by European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition, and the procedure will last until late 2015.
5Land-Locked Kazakhstan Plans to Build a Blue-Water Commercial Fleet. Kazakhstan plans to expand its shipping fleet on the Caspian Sea and to acquire, for the first time, a blue-water one (Np.kz, July 23). Its maritime strategy is aimed to allow this Caspian-littoral Central Asian republic both to take advantage of the cost-savings of ship transport and to make itself less dependent on foreign shippers, including Russian ones. [Jamestown]
6Iran and Turkmenistan are targeted to pump up their bilateral trade volume up to $60 billion in the upcoming 10 years, the Iranian Industry Minister said in his meeting with the Turkmen Foreign Minister on Tuesday.”According to the agreements made by the presidents of the two countries, mutual trade volume is to hit $60 bln in the following ten years,” Iranian Industry, Mine, and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said in his meeting with Turkmen Foreign Affairs Minister Rashid Meredov.The Iranian minister referred to foregoing cultural and historical joints and underscored the necessity of expanding ties between the two countries’ private sector.Nematzadeh also announced Iran’s readiness to ease its technical, infrastructural, and industrial transactions with Turkmenistan.
7US foundation first ‘undesirable’ foreign group. Russian prosecutors Tuesday declared the US Congress-funded National Endowment for Democracy the first “undesirable” foreign group under a controversial new law to ban overseas organisations deemed a threat.”Taking into account the overall aim of the endowment’s work, prosecutors came to the conclusion that it presents a threat to the constitutional order of Russia, its defence capabilities and state security,” the prosecutors said in a statement.They accused the American non-profit organisation of using local NGOs to undermine elections and organise political rallies in the country.”The National Endowment for Democracy participated in work to declare the results of election campaigns illegitimate, to organise political demonstrations aimed at influencing decisions taken by state institutions and to discredit service in the Russian armed forces,” the statement said.
8Iran cancels visa requirements for citizens of Azerbaijan. Iran canceled the visas for the citizens of seven countries, Oxu.Az reports citing the Iranian newspaper Kayhan. From now on tourists from Turkey, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Bolivia, Egypt and Syria can travel to Iran without a visa.
9Kazakhstan is considering to establish oil consortium to ensure the implementation of the Eurasia international oil project in the Caspian basin, according to remarks made by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Energy Minister Uzakbai Karabalin at a July 27.”Kazakhstan is considering the establishment of the consortium on public-private partnership with the further implementation of works on the Eurasia project in 2016-2021 in order to ensure the implementation of tasks, in particular on such a large project,” he said. Karabalin also noted that Kazakhstan is developing a legal code on ubsoil and its adoption is scheduled for 2015-2016. The government plans to make amendments to the Tax Code in order to reduce the tax burden in conducting geological research, exploration of subsoils, as well as the implementation of the contract on the geological study of the Caspian Basin.
10Azerbaijan, France to expand military cooperation. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov met with French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Pascal Monnier, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said. During the meeting, the sides discussed the military-political situation in the region and the successfully developing relations in the military sphere. They stressed the importance of expanding activity in this direction.
