IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY ON RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA








MOSCOW, March 12, 2001. /From RIA Novosti correspondent/.


	The Caspian Sea still remains "the stumbling-block in Iranian-Russian relations, yet Moscow and Tehran are resolved to go on searching for mutually acceptable ways of solving the problem," declared Iranian foreign ministry officials, who arrived in Russia as a member of a government delegation headed by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.


	According to the Iranian side, the Caspian issue is in the limelight of the current talks between presidents of Russia and Iran, since the Caspian region is strategically important for both states. "We hope Vladimir Putin and Mohammad Khatami will be able to outline the priorities of Iranian-Russian cooperation as far as the legal status of the Caspian Sea goes," stressed Iranian diplomats.


	It will be recalled that Moscow and Tehran have so far sharply disagreed over the status of the Caspian Sea. The Russian side, backed by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, suggests that the water area be used by all Caspian states jointly, while the sea floor be divided between them according to a modified medium line. On its part, Iran insists on leaving the sea for general use or dividing the water area into national sectors according to the condominium principle so that each littoral state should get 20% of the sea.