TEHRAN The Sixth Conference on Central Asia and the Caucasus that was attended by a group of scholars from 18 countries including Iran, Britain, France, U.S. and others concluded here Tuesday afternoon. Iranian Foreign Ministry official Gholam Ali Khoshrou said at the meeting that the Foreign Ministry of Iran intends to transform its Central Asian Studies Center into a progressive center regionally and intrnationally.

Professor of Boston University Clemence said that Iran-U.S. cooperation can substantially reduce tension in the Caspian Sea region. Commenting on the present political climate between Iran and the United States, he said U.S. policies with Iran are not wholly determined at the White House, and commented that his government is currently facing problems for responsive gestures to mend relations with Iran. Iranian Professor Jalil Rowshandel said that if a legal regime for the Caspian Sea is not determined the region would face threat of war.

Rowshandel said as long as a legal regime for the Caspian Sea has not been adopted it is very likely that foreign countries would try to pit the littoral states of the Caspian Sea against each other. (IRNA)