A meeting of government officials from the Caspian littoral states was held on the sidelines of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in Awaza, Turkmenistan.

The meeting focused on key areas of joint action to mitigate the negative impacts of the shallowing of the Caspian Sea.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev highlighted the sustainable growth in trade turnover among the Caspian littoral states.

He noted that the Third Caspian Economic Forum, held in Tehran in February this year, played an important role in expanding trade and mutual investment, as well as in deepening cooperation in the energy and transport-logistics sectors.

Shahin Mustafayev emphasized that the issue of the Caspian Sea’s shallowing was raised by the President of Azerbaijan during the 2022 Ashgabat Summit, adding that preparations are currently underway to organize the first meeting of the five-party expert group in Baku.

He also stated that in order to mitigate the negative consequences of changes in sea level, it is essential to enhance scientific and research cooperation and implement joint programs.