The first meeting of the intergovernmental commission on the declining level of the Caspian Sea will be held in Azerbaijan in the first half of 2027.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the decision was made at the Caspian Environmental Summit, attended by the leaders of the five Caspian littoral states: Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
The heads of state agreed to establish the commission, with deputy heads of government representing Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and senior officials representing Iran and Russia.
Subsequent meetings will be held in the territories of the Caspian littoral states in turn, according to the order of the English alphabet.
The initiative to establish a commission or working and expert groups on the issue was put forward by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
At the sixth Summit of Heads of State of the Caspian Littoral States in Ashgabat on June 29, 2022, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the rapid decline in the Caspian Sea’s level and its shallowing. He proposed forming joint expert groups of specialists from the littoral countries to study the causes of the environmental crisis and prevent its consequences.
The Caspian Sea is bordered by Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Its water levels have varied over time, making regional monitoring and cooperation important for assessing environmental changes and their effects on the coastal states.
