The Balanced Current Special Status of the Caspian Sea under International Law

The article explores the peculiarities of international legal regulation of the special legal status of the Caspian Sea, legal regimes created by the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea the adoption of which in 2018 marked the establishment of a system of treaties with regard to the Caspian Sea. The Convention aims to avoid fragmentation of international legal regulation and represents the result of the codification of the most important issues of regional cooperation among the Caspian States. It is noted that the water area of the Caspian Sea is divided into internal waters, territorial waters, fishing zones, common maritime space. The delimitation of the bottom and subsoil of the Caspian Sea into national bottom sectors is carried out by the agreement between adjacent and opposite States in compliance with the modified median line. 17 principles of activity on the Caspian Sea have been established, legitimate activities and corresponding legal regimes in the Caspian Sea have been defined: exploration and exploitation of its bottom and subsoil resources; fishing, use and protection of aquatic biological resources; shipping; marine scientific research; laying of cables and pipelines; protection of the ecological system.

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