Caspian Sea security: Iran’s ambassador vows safe trade routes
The conflict in the Middle East does not threaten shipping in the Caspian Sea, according to Ali Akbar Jowkar, ambassador of Iran to Kazakhstan.
He also emphasized that all five Caspian littoral states have reached a unanimous agreement on security in the sea.
«Everyone believes that non-Caspian states should not be present in the sea’s waters,» Jowkar said during a briefing in Astana. «This is what distinguishes the region from the Persian Gulf, where the U.S. maintains a military presence.»
Earlier, Yerlan Nyssanbayev, Kazakhstan’s ecology minister, dismissed as «nonsense» claims that drone strikes on oil facilities could cause the Caspian Sea to collapse.
Read also: Caspian shores lined with dead seals in mass die-off event.
Some experts had linked such concerns to the high hydrogen sulfide content in oil from the Kashagan oil field. They note that if hydrogen sulfide comes into contact with Caspian seawater, it can form sulfuric acid, which could harm marine life.
