I CEF: BEGINNING OF NEW STAGE IN DEVELOPMENT OF CASPIAN REGION

Turkmenistan becomes a place of big international events that have global significance. Often, it becomes a starting point of fundamentally new tendencies in the world politics, stimulates serious negotiation processes, provide foundations of interstate relations. 

This time, our country has embarked a mission to organize and conduct big representative forum on pending and current issues for many states, which solution requires comprehensive, well-thought and coordinated approach, details verification of positions and views on the future – the future of Caspian region. 

The importance of the I Caspian Forum is yet to be appreciated. The discussions held these August days, reached agreements will gain their scale and energy of actions by their deep understanding and bringing to practice. Nevertheless, it can be stated without a doubt that the Forum has become a historical event not only for five countries of Caspian Sea basin.

The fact that many other countries both neighbouring with the states of Caspian Sea as well as quite far from geographic point of view, however, which have their economic interests in this place, show their intent to participate in the forum indicates growing geopolitical and economic potential of this region. 

Indeed, Caspian region has a strategic importance for Eurasian continent from economy, trade, transport point of view, which is provided by its colossal hydrocarbon resources in global scale and transit capabilities, which opens easy access to important markets. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov spoke about this in his speech at the forum. All heads of the governments of Caspian states agreed with Turkmen leader. 

Not only continental but also global importance of the region has been noted, and not only the importance of its resource and energy base, which is able to bring huge benefits to humankind, but also as a unique ecosystem of the sea, which has no analogue on the planet. Ecological issues enter to the first place of the world agenda, because it directly correlates with the future of civilization, with the opportunity of this future for many nations. In this regard, ecological diplomacy becomes an integral component of international policy. 

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has paid special attention to this subject, having focused on the necessity of scientific studies in natural protection sphere, in his conceptual speech at the First Caspian Forum. 

The Head of Turkmenistan noted that making proposal on Caspian Economic Forum, we followed the accounting of all these factors as a whole, creation of conditions for joint work by institution of broad permanent platform of cooperation with participation of the states, international organizations, business structures and scientific centres. 

Turkmen leader called new format of international partnership, based on common values and united by common goals and objectives as a promising one. 

Turkmen leader reminded that first Summit of the Heads of Caspian States was held in Ashgabat by the initiatives of our country in April 2002 for provision of peaceful and stable development of our region and formation of new political and legal bases of multilateral cooperation. This is when solid foundation for systematic, multilevel and regular negotiation process in Caspian Sea has been laid. 

“We had a long way indeed, reached important agreements in political and diplomatic sphere, formed up wide, comprehensive base of cooperation”, - the Head of the State said, having highlighted that this work resulted in signing o the Convention on Legal Status of Caspian Sea – the document, which opens huge perspectives for partnership, by the Presidents of five states in Aktau last year. 

…Five countries were searching for the formula of “agreement” on this fundamentally important point in the programme of cooperation for 25 years. Finally, this painstaking work on the Convention came to its logical end last year, which at the same time put the beginning for new joint projects. The paragraph that restrained them turned into driver accelerating integration in many directions. 

In his speech, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov called cooperation in energy sphere, which is able to give strong impulse to the growth of economies of all coastal and neighbouring states as the most important among them. 

According to Turkmen leader, efficient development of hydrocarbon deposits of Caspian Sea and surrounding territories will lead to diversification of industry and its development. And this, in its turn, will turn into social benefits like creation of new work places, improvement of quality and life level of people, investments to construction of social infrastructure like schools, kindergartens, medical facilities… 

Geopolitical resource of this direction, which according to the Head of the State, is able to change economic landscape of entire region completely, is in the improvement of its role and influence in the world market. 

Transport sector is another extremely important direction of Caspian cooperation, which the Head of the State outlined in his speech. Prepositions for the formation of multidimensional system of trade routes were made by the geography of the region itself but good transport interrelatedness inside of it is required in order for them to work in full force. In other words, intensive communications and connection of all modes of transport to them between five countries. 

In this regard, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reminded about the idea of the foundation of Caspian Regional Logistic Centre. The idea is more than required. The Head of Turkmenistan has formulated not just a proposal but current necessity in coordination of joint activity on launch, management and operation of transit and transport corridors connection Asian and European markets. 

Undoubtedly, availability of modern infrastructure, its proportionality with international standards of activity and many other criteria and requirements including for multimodal cargo transportation are important for this. 

In this context, speaking at the First Caspian Economic Forum, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov highlighted the necessity of establishment of efficient trade relations between Caspian region and external markets. At the same time, the Head of the State specified that these connections have to be stable, free from politicization and unfair competition, to work on clear and transparent principles. Turkmen leader sees the requirements in closer cooperation with profile international structures including with specialized UN Commissions, regional associations such as the ECO, SCO and CIS. 

The Head of the State called orientation to science and intellectual potential as decisive condition of success of economic development Caspian region, its integration to the world economy as a competitive and perspective member. 

The proposal of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at the First Caspian Economic Forum to establish innovative and technological centre as basic platform for technological and innovative breakthrough of the countries in the region raised keen interest. The idea was broadly supported by the delegates of the 2019 CEF> 

“Caspian Innovative City”, this is the name that Turkmen leader gave to the idea, has to be some kind a laboratory of ideas where scientists, specialists, representatives of fundamental and applied science from Caspian and other states would be able to work together on new technological order for Caspian Sea, development of solutions of wide spectrum of Caspian range f problems such as energy, industrial, logistic, infrastructural and ecological issues. 

Therefore, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov makes a big bet on science both in national and regional development. The Head of the State sees huge reserves of innovative growth of economy in the sphere of intellectual art. 

Turkmen leader gives special role to science in protection of ecological balance of Caspian Sea and its biodiversity. Economic projects in Caspian basin have to be implemented on the base of high international ecological standards, the Head of the State said speaking for the delegates of CEF. 

We are firmly confident that ecology cannot be held hostage of economic and commercial benefits, - Turkmen leader said, offering to establish efficient channels of ‘green diplomacy’ for Caspian Sea with involvement of states, international agencies, ecological centres and mass media to this activity. 

Seeing of Caspian Sea, both in geographic and social and economic aspect, by Turkmen leader as one of the directions of the UN 2030 Strategy is very important. 

The President of Turkmenistan offered the countries participants of the 2019 CEF to initiate broad multilateral dialog about integrated development of Caspian region in the United Nations. This proposal was approved by the delegates as the involvement of the UN mechanisms will give additional impulses and will enhance the importance of the region in the world arena. 

We would like to see Caspian Sea as a space of cooperation, development of prosperity, free from conflicts and confrontation, a place of unification of the energy of the state, international organizations, business, scientific and technological potentials. This is a way, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov outlined strategic perspective, a model of future for Caspian Sea. 

Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev noted in his speech at the 2019 CEF that the Forum has a special objective to supplement multilevel system of cooperation under the Caspian five with efficient and timely mechanism of business, trade and economic partnership, to strengthen important political decisions with specific beneficial projects. 

It involves participation of the third countries, that is why it brought together guests and heads of the governments representing other states as Caspian region has to be open for economic cooperation. 

Therefore, it can be stated that permanent negotiation ground has been formed for the countries of Caspian basin and their partners behind the region in Avaza on August 12. Even the first edition, the CEF attractedrepresentatives of 60 countries, which indicates huge importance of the initiative of Turkmen leader on organization of the forum on permanent base.