TEHRAN -- Iranian-Russian consultations on the status of the Caspian Sea opened here on Monday.

The Russian president's Caspian envoy Viktor Kalyuzhny is leading the Russian delegation, which comprises of members of Parliament and experts.

Iran's special representative on Caspian Sea Affairs, Mahdi Safari, in charge of the Caspian talks, is heading the Iranian delegation.

ITAR-TASS learnt that the talks would address a range of matters surrounding the legal status of the Caspian Sea, which is bordered by five states -- Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

The Russian delegation will attend a hearing on the Caspian Sea's status in the Iranian Parliament, IRNA said.

Kalyuzhny will also speak at the Parliamentary Commission for Security and Foreign Policy.

He is going to lay out Russia's position on the Caspian problem.