Posted on 08/10/2002 3:57:02 AM PDT by grimalkin
MOSCOW, Aug 10, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov raised the possibility on Saturday of creating a multinational defense force in the resource-rich Caspian Sea, a Russian news agency reported.
"I can't exclude the creation in the Caspian of a military group which would include Russia, Kazakhstan and other Caspian Sea countries," Ivanov was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.
Ivanov is currently in the Caspian Sea city of Kaspiisk in Russia's Dagestan region to observe large-scale naval maneuvers in the disputed Caspian waters.
The former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are also participating in the maneuvers which are to last through Aug. 15. Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic that proclaims neutrality, and Iran declined to take part.
Russia has been trying to reassert its influence in the oil-rich region after years of neglect on the part of Russian diplomats and politicians.
Ivanov told Interfax that due to the presence of "threats" in the region, "the situation dictates a need for cooperation among our neighbors in the Caspian."
The five nations that border the Caspian, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran, have failed to agree on how to divide up the Caspian's riches.
Disputes over which country controls which parts of the Caspian already have led to concerns of military conflict, where all five countries have gunboats regularly on patrol.
Copyright 2002 Associated Press, All rights reserved
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