Iran Warns against Establishment of Military Base along Caspian Sea Coasts
Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Mehdi Sanayee warned that setting up military bases along the Caspian Sea coasts is perceived as a threat, and stressed that Tehran prefers the Sea to remain non-militarized.
“Our view is against the militarization of the Caspian Sea since we see the sea as a living creature,” Sanayee said in a conference dubbed ‘What Are Iran’s Optimum Interests in the Caspian Sea and How Are They Provided?’ in Tehran on Saturday.
He warned of the threats posed by the militarization of the Caspian Sea, and said, “Preventing the entrance of the countries alien to the region should receive due attention because the presence of such states for military deployment or energy purposes will be a diverging element (among the Caspian Sea littoral states).”
He said Iran see the Caspian Sea to be bearing a Eurasian identity, and stated that Tehran seeks joint projects with the Caspian Sea littoral states, including start of new flight routes and airlines, strengthening parliamentary cooperation and tourism and cultural cooperation.
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on earth by area, variously classed as the world’s largest lake or a full-fledged sea.
Caspian Sea littoral states consist of Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. They have been debating their share in the Caspian Sea legal regime since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In relevant remarks in June, Iran’s Military Attaché in Moscow Colonel Soleiman Adeli underlined Iran and Russia’s commitment to peace and friendship in the Caspian Sea, and said the two countries believe that security of the Sea should be safeguarded only by the littoral states.
“Iran and Russia want the Caspian Sea littoral states to protect the security of the Sea without the foreign powers’ interference and they consider the presence of the aliens as a cause of tension and strife,” Colonel Adeli told FNA at the time.
He said that Iran and Russia pursue common security policies on the Caspian Sea, adding that “Tehran and Moscow view the Caspian Sea as a Sea of peace, friendship and (a ground for) strengthening cooperation bonds.”
