TEHRAN President Mohammad Khatami said here Tuesday that the Caspian Sea is a vital and sensitive region and that the five littoral states should cooperate to lay the ground for a fair and richer exploitation of the international asset through the use of prudence and logic and to protect national and regional interests.
President Khatami told Boris Sheikhmuratov, the special envoy of Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov, that Iran and Turkmenistan share similar stances vis-a-vis the Caspian Sea's legal regime.
Switching to the subject of Afghanistan, President Khatami said that the Afghan crisis will defy any military solution and instead calls for collective efforts on the part of all regional states.
He further said that peace and stability cannot be restored in Afghanistan unless regional security and the rights of the oppressed Afghan nation are restored.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran which actively pursues its responsibilities within the framework of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) supports the UN's and the 6+2' Group's efforts," added the president.
He expressed hope that promotion of Iran-Turkmenistan cooperation would promote regional and global progress, saying he looked forward to visiting Turkmenistan at the first opportune time.
Sheikhmuratov, submitting President Niyazov's message to President Khatami inviting the latter to pay an official visit to Turkmenistan, said that his country is keen at forging close and more coordinated links with Iran in issues related to the Caspian Sea.
It is to be noted that Turkmenistan current decisions taken by other countries with respect to the problem of the Caspian Sea's legal regime, favoring the matter to be decided jointly by all the littoral states.
He said Iran and Turkmenistan share similar stances toward Afghanistan, and stressed the need for an exchange of views and coordination between his country, the OIC and Iran.
(IRNA)