AS earlier reported, the 44th meeting of the special working group for working out the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea kicked off in Baku.

Azerbaijani member of the working group, Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov is chairing the meeting. Heads of working groups on the legal status of the Caspian Sea from Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkmenistan are attending the meeting.

Khalaf Khalafov said all the issues on the legal status of the Caspian Sea should be solved in line with respect for the sovereign rights of the littoral states. “The speedy signing of the convention will contribute to mutual cooperation of the Caspian littoral states,” he stressed.

It is planned to hold the sixth meeting of the parties to the Framework Convention for the Protection of Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in Baku, said Khalafov, adding, that opening of the permanent secretariat of the framework convention will be one of the main goals of the conference.