A CASPIAN STATES' SUMMIT WILL BE HELD IN APRIL








MOSCOW, March 6, 2001. /RIA Novosti correspondent /. A summit of the Caspian states, i.e., Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan, will be held in the second half of April. Victor Kalyuzhny, deputy foreign minister of Russia and the Russian president's special representative for the Caspian problem, told about this when interviewed by journalists.


	Kalyuzhny noted that the summit would give special attention to Caspian states' cooperation in developing the Caspian Sea's mineral and biological resources. In this context, the summit will examine such issues as the determination of the Caspian Sea's new status and the establishment of a joint monitoring centre. It is expected that these meetings should become regular so as to form a "mechanism of international cooperation similar to the Shanghai-5 meetings", Kalyuzhny said.


	The Caspian states' summit was due to be held in Turkmenia in early March, but was postponed till April at the Iranian side's request.