BAKU -- Baku hosted the fourth meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of the five Caspian littoral states to agree on a draft agreement on security cooperation in the Caspian Sea, the Trend news agency reported on Wednesday.

The Iranian president’s special envoy for Caspian Sea issues, Mohammad Mehdi Akhundzadeh, represented the Islamic Republic at the meeting.
“We will work on the remaining open questions during today's meeting,” Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said during the opening ceremony.
In November 2003, the Caspian countries signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea.
In July 1998, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use.
On Nov. 29, 2001 and Feb.27, 2003, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.
Khalafov said he was confident that the agreement would provide a sound foundation for the littoral states to guarantee security in the Caspian Sea region
“We hope that we can submit a document on this issue for discussion at the summit of the heads of Caspian states to be held on Nov. 18 in Baku,” he added.
Photo: The Iranian president’s special envoy for Caspian Sea issues, Mohammad Mehdi Akhundzadeh