Posted on 10/01/2014 11:03:10 AM PDT by mac_truck
A summit earlier this week achieves consensus on the inadmissibility of a foreign military presence in the sea.
Iran and Russia have built unanimous consensus among the Caspian states, which also feature Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, over the inadmissibility of a foreign military presence in the Caspian Sea, ruling out any future possible deployment of NATO forces in the basin.
A political declaration signed by the presidents of the five Caspian states at the IV Caspian Summit held in Astrakhan, Russia, on September 29, “sets out a fundamental principle for guaranteeing stability and security, namely, that only the Caspian littoral states have the right to have their armed forces present on the Caspian,” according to a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the wake of the summit.
His Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, added that “there is consensus among all the Caspian Sea littoral states that they are capable of maintaining the security of the Caspian Sea and military forces of no foreign country must enter the sea,” Iran’s state news agency PressTV quoted Rouhani as saying.
The move comes as both Russia and Iran are experiencing tense diplomatic relations with Western countries and feel increasingly threatened by a foreign military presence in the Caspian Sea.
“Both Iran and Russia have interests in keeping under control a military presence of Western countries in the basin,” Bahman Diba, foreign policy expert and author of The Law and Politics of the Caspian Sea, told The Diplomat.
“Because of the ongoing troubles with former Soviet countries such as Ukraine and Georgia, Russia revived a foreign policy that can bring to mind the Cold War era. At the same time, the Iranian regime is concerned that the west may use Caspian countries to put pressure on its nuclear program.”
So we can’t put a fleet in the Caspian now?
I say we retaliate by excluding the Russians from sailing in the Great Salt Lake.
I don’t see what business NATO would have in the Caspian if none of the nations around it are members of NATO.
Also, if we’re to argue that NATO has a right to be on the Caspian anyway then Russia has a right to be on the Great Lakes.
Flawless victory, guys.
I’m sure NATO was totally aiming at getting a bunch of boats in there. /s
Oh and they really ought to stop labeling that little lake the “Aral Sea”. I think it’s time to let that one go.
Exactly.
The Sea of Azov will soon be a Russian Lake as well.
Actually, as recently as last year they were. Its a strategic location.
From that map, it would be a lot easier for them to take the St. Lawrence Seaway right to Detroit than for us to sail up into the Caspian Sea. They make an excellent vodka up there, BTW.
It used to be bigger...
Do my eyes deceive me? How in the hell would one sail into the caspian sea? It’s freaking landlocked :\
Somebody pulled the plug on that thing.
It’s almost like someone pull out the stopper in the bathtub!
Actually, Russia moved the faucets (rivers) filling the tub (basin).
Must be satire...
And how exactly was NATO supposed to get to the Caspian Sea?
Nukus.
**snickers**
Yup. Kazakhstan built a dam to save the northern portion, but, that just sped up the death of the rest. The big SE part is gone now. Pretty amazing...
Horror! In other related news US and Canada has blocked Russia and Iran from lake Michigan.
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