The leaders of the five Caspian littoral states have approved a joint commission to examine the sea’s falling water level and coordinate measures to address its consequences, according to Vesti Baku.
The commission’s first meeting is scheduled to take place in Azerbaijan in the first half of 2027. The decision followed the Caspian Environmental Summit in Turkmenbashi and turns an earlier cooperation proposal into a formal five-country mechanism.
All Five Littoral States to Participate
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan will be represented at the level of deputy heads of government, while Iran and Russia will appoint senior representatives. The five governments have been instructed to name their authorized commission members within three months.
Specialized working groups will also be created with representatives of government agencies, scientists and industry experts. The commission is expected to adopt its operating rules at the first meeting, with subsequent sessions rotating among the Caspian states in English alphabetical order.
Focus on Causes and Joint Measures
The new body will examine the causes of the Caspian Sea’s declining level and develop a coordinated package of measures to limit the environmental and economic damage. The mandate calls not only for recommendations but also for joint implementation.
President Ilham Aliyev first proposed a common expert mechanism at the Caspian summit in Ashgabat in 2022. The leaders of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan have now formalized the initiative in their summit document.
The decision follows growing concern over the Caspian’s rapid retreat. A related AZE.US report said the sea’s surface area has contracted by more than 20,000 square kilometers over roughly two decades, threatening ports, fisheries and coastal ecosystems.