President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Tuesday that the Caspian Sea littoral states on Tuesday agreed to form an economic cooperation organization.
Addressing a press conference at the end of the 2nd Caspian Sea Summit here on Tuesday, President Ahmadinejad said the presidents of the five Caspian Sea states at Tehran session agreed on formation of the Caspian Sea Economic Cooperation Organization.
President Ahmadinejad said that the Caspian Sea Economic Cooperation Conference, to be chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin, will be held in summer of 2008.
The Iranian president did not specify the venue or date of the Conference but said delegations, headed by ministers of economy of the littoral states will be present in the meeting.
He noted that expert meetings will be held and comprehensive economic agreements will be drafted when the organization is formed.
Emphasizing that the Caspian Sea would remain the sea of peace, friendship and solidarity among the littoral states, President Ahmadinejad said the presidents agreed on drafting security arrangements of the sea.
He said Azeri President Ilham Aliyev will undertake management of the project.
He said besides signing the Caspian Sea final declaration, he and his counterparts had reached an agreement on holding their foreign ministerial session every six months and summits on a regular basis every year.
He added that the Third Caspian Sea Summit will be held in Baku in October of 2008, with chairmanship of Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.
He added that the five littoral states in today's meeting stressed their willingness for stronger cooperation and promotion of regional peace, friendship and security.
Describing the first ever political document signed by presidents of the five-nation Caspian Sea here Tuesday as a "big achievement", the Iranian president said the participants in the meeting had been able to address all targets on the agenda of the summit.
"The first political document, signed for the first time by the presidents of the five (Caspian Sea) littoral states, is a big achievement. Very good agreements, reached in the Caspian Sea Summit, will be a turning point in relations and cooperation among the littoral states. Heads of the five littoral states succeeded in meeting all the agenda targets," said Ahmadinejad.
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