Five Caspian Sea states, namely Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on military cooperation during a meeting held in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The memorandum focuses on security, educational, technical, and rescue and relief cooperation. The event comes as Russia and Iran are planning to hold joint drills in the region.
In August, the five countries signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea.
According to the convention, the seabed and subsoil of the Caspian Sea are divided between the five littoral states on the basis of international law, while the major sea's surface is to be shared.
The document regulates such issues as fishing and pipeline construction, establishes rules for maritime navigation in the sea and bans any activities threatening its biological resources.
The convention prohibits the presence of foreign armed forces in the area and assigns responsibility for maintaining security there to the five Caspian states.
