Caspian states
Reach Landmark Agreement
Caspian Sea states
have declared in Iran that they would not permit their soil to
be used for an attack on any of them, in an apparent response to
speculation that the United States could resort to force in its
nuclear row with Iran.
The declaration followed a speech by visiting Russian President
Vladimir Putin, calling on the Caspian nations not to let any
third country use their territory for an attack.
Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan said
"under no circumstances will they allow (the use of their)
territories by third countries to launch aggression or other
military action against any of the member states."
Also in the final declaration, they acknowledged the rights of
all signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which includes
Iran, to develop peaceful nuclear energy.
Reactions
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who insists Tehran will
not stop atomic work, claiming they are for peaceful purposes,
praised the Caspian declaration as "very strong".
Iran is embroiled in a standoff with Western nations which
accuse Tehran of seeking atomic weapons, a charge Tehran denies.
Washington has refused to rule out military action if diplomacy
fails to resolve the row.
The U.S. military has inspected airfields in Azerbaijan, which
has a partnership deal with NATO, amid Russian media speculation
they could be planning to use the facilities in a possible
strike on Iran.
International
Russia has been alarmed by mounting talk in the West that the
row could result in conflict. France has been among the most
vocal of the world powers warning of a possible war.
The U.N. Security Council has imposed two rounds of limited
sanctions on Iran, which were backed by Russia and five other
world powers -- the United States, France, Germany, Britain and
China. Washington and Paris are pushing against Russian and
Chinese resistance for a round of stiffer, broader sanctions.
The Visit
The trip by Putin, the first Kremlin leader to visit Iran since
1943, has been watched because of Russia's potential leverage,
on behalf of fellow world powers, to rein in Iran using its
trade and nuclear supply ties with Tehran.
"We should not even think of making use of force in this
region," Putin told the summit.
He turned up in Tehran after shrugging off a Russian report
about a plot to kill him during the trip. Iran dismissed the
report.
Ahmadinejad welcomed President Putin and the other leaders in
his opening address with a call for closer cooperation on
security issues and deeper economic ties.
"This cooperation -- which is intended to prevent military
competition in the sea and also warding off hostile forces and
at the same time fighting organized crime -- will require the
establishment of a regional body in the near future," he said.
"We signed today a declaration which confirms the right of every
nation to develop peaceful nuclear programs without
restrictions, that is also something we are going to discuss,"
Putin said before holding bilateral talks with Ahmadinejad,
focusing on Iran's nuclear program.
Moscow says it sees no evidence of a military program and is
resisting Western calls for new sanctions.
Other Issues
Mr. Putin is also expected to see Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khomeini, who under Iran's clerical rule has the final say in
all state matters. He is also likely to discuss a dispute over
Russian delays in building the Bushehr atomic power plant,
Iran's first.
The summit aimed to bring the five states closer to a deal on
how to divide the Caspian Sea and its huge oil and gas reserves
but no final agreement was reached although the leaders outlined
economic and other areas for more cooperation.
REUTERS/MIA
