Law & Politics of the Caspian Sea in the Twenty-First Century

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword
Historical Background and Geographic Characteristics of the Caspian Sea
The Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, Before the Collapse of the USSR
The Legal Status of Similar Lakes
The Legal Regime of the Caspian Sea Following the Collapse of the USSR, Emergence of the Newly Independent Countries, and the Position of the Russian Federation
The Position of Iran
The Position of Azerbaijan
The Position of Turkmenistan
The Position of Kazakhstan
The Position of the United States
The Most Recent Positions of the Regional Countries
The Latest Developments
The Incident Between Iran and Azerbaijan
Developments Following September 11
Conclusion
Appendix
Excerpts from the Treaty Regarding Trade and Navigation Between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Iran of 25 March 1940
Letter dated 5 October 1994 from the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General
Letter dated 18 January 1996 from the Permanent Representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General
Letter dated 14 March 1997 from the Permanent Representatives of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General
Letter Dated 3 September 1997 from the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General
Letter Dated 3 September 1997 from the Chargé D’Affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

Articles
The Legal Regime of the Caspian Sea and the Recent Incident between Azerbaijan and Iran
Does Iran Own Half of the Caspian Sea?
Iranian Policy in the Caspian Sea: Negotiations, Negotiations, and More Negotiations
Trans-Afghan Pipeline: Another Loss for Iran in the Pipeline Diplomacy of the Caspian Region
The Russian Maneuvers in the Caspian Sea: Who is the Hypothetical Enemy?
Pollution in the Caspian Sea
Russian-Azerbaijan Agreement in the Caspian Sea: What Does It Mean for Iran?

AUTHOR

Bahman Aghai Diba studied international law and relations in Tehran University (Faculty of Law and Political Sciences), and Center for Graduate International Studies up to the level of M.A. with highest honors. Later, he continued his studies in the Faculty of Law of the Delhi University. Currently, he is a consultant on international law and economic affairs of the Middle East and Central Asia to several American companies in the Washington D.C. region. Previously, he worked as the managing partner in the office of Dr. Shirin O. Entezari & Assoc. (International Law Firm) in Tehran and Asghabat; International Institute for the Caspian Studies (IICS) in Tehran; Legal Department of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Second Secretary in charge of international and economic affairs, Iranian Embassy in Delhi (accredited to Nepal, Burma, and Vietnam); Liaison Officer of Iran to the Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee (AALCC) in New Delhi; Member of the Iranian delegations to the United Nations General Assembly sessions and Iran-Iraq peace talks in New York and Geneva; Representative of Iran in the international conference for Revision of IMO Convention on the Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC) and the Convention of International Compensation Fund in Jakarta (Indonesia); Member of the Iranian delegations to AALCC Annual Sessions in New Delhi (India), Katmandu (Nepal), and Nairobi (Kenya); teaching international law in the Iranian Institute of International Relations MFA in Tehran; Working with the Office of the UNHCR in Tehran on contract basis.

"… The Caspian Sea in the Twenty-First Century deserves attention because of the importance of its subject matter. At a time of political uncertainty in the Arabian Peninsula, along with record oil prices, the question of the Caspian Sea's legal status and of the ownership of the energy reserves contained under its seabed is more topical than ever."

-- Hovann H. Simonian, University of Southern California (MESA Bulletin)