Iran's Navy Vows to Defend National Interests in Caspian Sea

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 16, 2002

Iran's Navy Vows to Defend National Interests in Caspian Sea

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Iran's navy on Wednesday vowed to defend the national interests in the Caspian Sea following an agreement reached on Monday between Russia and Kazakhstan to share the northern part of the Sea, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Iran's Navy Commander Rear-admiral Abbas Mohtaj Mohtaj was quoted as saying that the forces under his command are quite vigilant and would employ all their equipment and warfare to defend the nation and its interests in the Iranian waters.

Iran favors regional and global peace and stability, while the war-mongers are after sparking wars in many parts of the world, said Mohtaj. The Iranian forces, however, would spare no efforts to protect the national interests, he stressed.

Earlier in the day, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami also warned that Iran is against any "unilateral and provocative" action in the Caspian Sea.

Iran calls for "prudent discussions to determine the Caspian Sea's legal regime while keeping in mind justice for all littoral states," he said, adding that "we do not in any way support intervention by foreign forces in the sea that belongs to the five littoral states."

The Caspian Sea is estimated to contain the world's third largest reserves of oil and gas after the Persian Gulf and Siberia.

Of the five Caspian members, Iran and Turkmenistan have been pushing for an agreement to secure an equal sharing, or 20 percent, of the underwater wealth, a formula opposed by Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

The latter three favor a principle of carving up the sea into national sectors, corresponding roughly to the length of each country's shoreline, leading to a possibility that might leave Iran with only a 13-percent share.

Last month, leaders from the five countries gathered in the Turkmen capital of Ashkhabad to narrow their differences over how to divide the energy-rich waters. But no agreement has been reached, though they have worried about Western interference with the issue.

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