AZE.US
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan could take the lead in efforts to stop the transportation of military cargo and the use of the Caspian Sea for wartime operations, according to former Georgian diplomat Valeri Chechelashvili.
Speaking on the YouTube channel Geopolitics with Barvinenko, Chechelashvili said the Caspian can no longer be viewed solely as a “sea of peace” because its waters and ports have become connected to military supply routes and the Russia-Ukraine war.
He said concerns in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and other Caspian states over the possible expansion of hostilities into the region were understandable. However, he argued that the key to reducing those risks lies with the Caspian countries themselves.
“They should meet and decide that the movement of military cargo and the use of the Caspian Sea for military purposes must stop,” Chechelashvili said.
He suggested that the Caspian states could issue a joint appeal to Ukraine and international partners, while offering guarantees that regional ports and transport routes would not be used to support attacks against Ukraine.
Under such an arrangement, he said, Kyiv could potentially commit to refraining from strikes in the Caspian basin.
Chechelashvili said Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were particularly well positioned to contribute because both maintain working relations with Ukraine and have a direct interest in preserving stability in the region.
“Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan can make a contribution to resolving this problem,” he said. “Ukraine can demonstrate firmness, while also showing flexibility and a willingness to reach an agreement if credible guarantees are provided.”
At the same time, the former diplomat acknowledged that such an initiative would be difficult to implement without the cooperation of Russia and Iran.
He said both Moscow and Tehran would have to agree to stop using the Caspian for the transportation of military cargo and other activities linked to the war.
Without such commitments, Chechelashvili warned, the risk of further militarization of the Caspian region would remain.
AZE.US