Preparations for the forthcoming VI Caspian Summit in Ashgabat on June 29 and the final agreement on the issues on its agenda were discussed at a meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian states, held on Tuesday at the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan.

 During the meeting, which preceded the five-sided high-level talks, the heads of the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan considered various aspects of cooperation in the Caspian Sea region, the progress in the practical implementation of the agreements reached earlier, and topical issues in international life.

 Speaking at the meeting, Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov called on his colleagues to focus their efforts on intensifying international economic cooperation in the Caspian, Orient news agency reported.

 R. Meredov called the provision of conditions and prerequisites for the development of economic cooperation in the Caspian Sea the most important area of ​​work of the ministries of foreign affairs in the region.

 – We all understand that the Caspian region is potentially one of the largest transport, transit and logistics hubs of global importance.  But in order for it to become such in reality, specific agreements and substantive steps are needed to implement them,” R. Meredov said.

 Among the priority steps needed to realize the potential of the Caspian region, he called the creation of effective transport communication schemes, energy supplies – both in the Caspian Sea and with access to the outer perimeter – European, Asian, Middle Eastern directions.

 The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan noted that work on the implementation of these tasks is underway, the relevant departments of the countries of the region are in contact and develop various plans and projects.  But at the same time, this work needs to be given additional dynamics, to make it more concrete.