Tokayev warns against militarization of the Caspian Sea

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Shomart Tokayev has called on the countries bordering the Caspian Sea not to use the inland sea for military purposes. The appeal was made on 22 April at the Regional Eco Summit 2026 in Astana, which Kazakhstan is hosting together with the United Nations. Tokayev did not name any individual countries in his statement. However, his message was clear: the Caspian Sea must not become the scene of military activities. In his view, it is not only the security of the region that is at stake, but also a delicate ecological balance. As Azattyq Asia reported, Tokayev referred to the particular importance of the Caspian Sea for biodiversity and environmental stability in the region. "The deployment of armed forces near the Caspian Sea cannot be tolerated. It must be strictly prohibited," he said. A sensitive ecosystem under growing pressure The Caspian Sea is shared by five countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. All five countries have signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea. This stipulates that the waters are to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and developed as an area of cooperation. Tokayev's initiative thus builds on existing principles of international law. At the same time, it brings to the fore an issue that is becoming increasingly important from a Kazakh perspective: the protection of an ecosystem that is already under pressure. For years, Kazakhstan has been particularly committed to the question of how the falling water level of the Caspian Sea and its ecological consequences can be countered. Against this backdrop, any additional pressure on the region carries particular weight. Environmental policy as a regional security issue At the summit, Tokayev spoke not only about the Caspian Sea, but also about the environmental challenges facing Central Asia as a whole. He named water scarcity, desertification, the melting of glaciers, air pollution and the impending loss of biodiversity as key risks for the region. His key message was that these problems could not be viewed in isolation. The countries of Central Asia and their neighbors not only shared geographical areas, but also ecological vulnerabilities and therefore shared responsibility. "Our countries live in a single ecosystem. Rivers and lakes, natural landscapes and climate threats are common to us all. Above all, however, we bear equal responsibility," Tokayev told the summit participants. With his appeal, the Kazakh president thus combines environmental and security policy. In this interpretation, the Caspian Sea appears not only as a geopolitically sensitive area, but also as an ecological asset whose protection has become a joint regional task. The post Tokayev warns against militarization of the Caspian Sea appeared first on ostwirtschaft.de.