An international conference dedicated to Caspian Sea Day was held on August 12 in the "Awaza" National Tourist Zone. The event brought together high-level Turkmen officials—including Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Minister of Environmental Protection Ovezgeldi Goshjanov, and Director of the Caspian Sea Institute Myrat Atajanov—alongside foreign ambassadors and diplomatic representatives.

Speaking at the forum, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Turkmenistan, Ali Mojtaba Ruzbehani, congratulated attendees on Caspian Sea Day. He recalled that exactly twenty years ago, the five Caspian littoral states signed a landmark agreement to preserve the sea's environment for future generations.

Ambassador Ruzbehani highlighted two decades of multifaceted cooperation covering security, legal status, fisheries, navigation, economic partnerships, and combating organized crime and terrorism. However, he noted that several critical issues remain under negotiation, including establishing a permanent Secretariat for the Tehran Convention, defining straight baselines, and strengthening military trust.

Notably, Ambassador Ruzbehani announced that Iran is fully prepared to host the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the Tehran Convention on September 23, 2026, in Tehran. Preparations are currently underway in coordination with the interim secretariat in Geneva and fellow littoral states.

Addressing environmental issues, Ruzbehani emphasized the decade-long trend of declining Caspian water levels. He voiced Iran’s support for joint littoral initiatives, including rapid operational data-sharing systems, and praised Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov's proposal to hold a dedicated Caspian Environmental Summit. On security, he noted recent security threats to Iranian coastal infrastructure and a commercial vessel off the Russian coast, urging littoral states to maintain a unified stance to prevent future incidents.