THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MADE SEVERAL PROPOSALS CONCERNING THE STATUS OF THE CASPIAN SEA








MOSCOW, March 13. /RIA Novosti correspondent Yelena  Glushakova/. Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi at the  negotiations with his Russian colleague Igor Ivanov made several proposals concerning the status of the Caspian Sea, Russian Foreign Minister told journalists on Tuesday after the end of the negotiations. Igor Ivanov called them very interesting. 


	"We shall continue our consultations with the aim of  reaching accords which will open the way to the summit of the Caspian states," said Ivanov. 


	This summit has been scheduled for the beginning of April. 


	According to the Russian minister, all the Caspian countries need a legal basis for cooperation in the Caspian Sea. 


	Speaking about the visit to Russia of Iranian President  Mohammad Khatami, now going on, Igor Ivanov said that the Russian side assesses it on the whole as "meeting the interests of both Moscow and Teheran, and also international and regional  stability." According to him, this visit is also very important from the point of view of cooperation between the two countries in the international arena. 


	In his turn, Kamal Kharazi once more underscored that  cooperation between Iran and Russia is aimed at an economic stability in the region and should meet the tasks imposed on our countries. According to him, this cooperation "is aimed not  against any countries, but at peace, friendship, the development of economic contacts in the region and at ensuring a free pass  for energy resources." -O-  (kos/ter)  13/03/01    14:20