On 12 August 2026, the National Tourist Zone of Awaza hosted an international scientific and practical conference titled “Protecting the Caspian Sea Ecosystem: Regional Cooperation and Sustainable Development.” The forum was organized by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.
The event was held to mark Caspian Sea Day, which this year coincides with the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, known as the Tehran Convention. Signed by the five Caspian littoral states in 2003, the convention entered into force in 2006.
According to Turkmen news outlets, the forum brought together representatives of relevant government agencies, embassies of Caspian littoral states and countries of the wider region — including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Romania, Tajikistan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan — as well as the European Union. International organizations represented included the UN, OSCE, UNOPS, UNDP, IOM, FAO and GIZ.
Key speakers from the Turkmen side included Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov, Minister of Environmental Protection Ovezgeldy Goshjanov, and Murat Atajanov, Director of the Caspian Sea Institute and Turkmenistan’s Special Representative for Caspian Sea Affairs.
Participants highlighted the importance of the Caspian Environmental Initiative, proposed by Turkmenistan at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in 2023 as an international platform for coordinating environmental protection efforts.
Particular attention was given to the need for regular monitoring of the marine environment, research into the declining water level of the Caspian Sea, and the role of the Khazar State Nature Reserve in protecting the region’s unique flora and fauna.
Speakers also called for wider adoption of innovative technologies, digital information platforms, artificial intelligence and new approaches to environmental monitoring.
The Regional Centre for Climate Change Technologies, an initiative proposed by Ashgabat, was highlighted as a potential platform for advancing this work.
At the same time, discussions on the sidelines of the forum underlined the close link between environmental and economic issues. The Caspian Sea continues to play an increasingly important role in the development of five-party cooperation and transport and transit corridors connecting the region with global markets.
At the conclusion of the conference, participants adopted an address to the President of Turkmenistan, expressing appreciation for the country’s contribution to strengthening regional dialogue.
The Awaza forum served as a prelude to a series of upcoming multilateral meetings. The 7th Conference of the Parties to the Tehran Convention (COP7) is scheduled to take place in Tehran on 23 September, while the Caspian Environmental Summit is due to be held in Awaza on 9 October. ///nCa, 13 August 2026