Bimila Rahman Rahim
Your Excellency, distinguished leaders of the Caspian littoral states, ladies and gentlemen;
First, I would like to thank the esteemed President of our friend and brother Turkmenistan for giving me the opportunity to participate in this important meeting—a gathering where we speak not only of a body of water, but also of the shared destiny of our nations, the future of our coming generations, and our historical responsibility toward one of the world's most precious natural heritages.
Today, this shared heritage faces serious and growing threats. The continuous drop in water levels, climate change, rising air and water temperatures, oil and industrial pollution, the destruction of natural habitats, the shrinking of water resources, threats to valuable species, and pressure on coastal communities are alarm bells that cannot and must not be ignored.
The decline of the Caspian water level is no longer merely an environmental concern; this phenomenon has become an economic, social, humanitarian, and even security issue for the region. The retreat of the water poses difficulties for ports and coastal infrastructure, destroys natural habitats, threatens the livelihoods of fishermen and local communities, and affects food security and the development prospects of the littoral states.
The fact is that no single country is capable of containing this crisis on its own. The Caspian Sea is an interconnected ecosystem, and any damage to a part of it will sooner or later reveal its impacts across the entire body of water. Therefore, protecting the Caspian Sea requires, above all, the joint political will, continuous cooperation, and coordinated action of all littoral states.
The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that environmental crises do not recognize political borders and that dealing with them effectively requires overcoming narrow national views and strengthening regional responsibility.
In today's world, which faces numerous crises, geopolitical competitions, wars, unilateral sanctions, and the weakening of multilateralism, environmental cooperation can be one of the most important areas for confidence-building and convergence among the countries of the region. We believe the environment should not fall victim to political differences, economic competition, or extra-regional interventions. The littoral states must determine the fate of the Caspian Sea by relying on their scientific, technical, financial, and human capabilities within the framework of regional cooperation and with full respect for each other's national sovereignty and legitimate interests.
excellence;
The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the first principle in addressing this crisis is to rely on science, shared data, and regional cooperation. We have not yet reached a final and comprehensive picture regarding the exact contribution of various factors to the drop in the Caspian water level. Climate change, rising temperatures and evaporation, changes in precipitation patterns, shifts in river flows, and human interventions are all issues that must be examined within a scientific and integrated framework in order to find a solution to the consequences. The speed of change is such that to control the crisis, we must move from the phase of "observation and description" to the new chapter of "joint crisis management." In this direction, the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the central role of the Tehran Convention,
The Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, signed by five littoral states in 2003, and recently, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, with the good and active participation of all littoral states, held its seventh member meeting in Tehran, is the most important binding regional legal framework for the protection of the Caspian environment.
The Tehran Convention, along with its protocols, has provided us with a framework for successful and comprehensive cooperation among littoral states in various fields, ranging from cooperation in dealing with oil pollution and pollution caused by land-based activities to the protection of biodiversity, cross-border environmental impact assessments, climate change, and the reduction of the Caspian water level.
Distinguished coastal prime ministers;
Allow me to also emphasize one fundamental point. The Caspian Sea is located in a region where its geopolitical and security developments directly affect the future economic, transit, and environmental cooperation of the littoral states. At a time when the world is facing increased competition, conflicts, and greater efforts to impose political and economic will through coercive measures, keeping the Caspian Sea as a zone of cooperation, stability, and joint development is of dual importance.