On 14 July this year, a two-week training course entitled ‘The Caspian Sea – Sustainable Development and Management’ opened in Ashgabat, organised by Turkmen authorities in conjunction with the International Ocean Institute (IOI). The training is attended by specialists from all Caspian littoral states – Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Russia – representing various fields ranging from ecology and oil and gas to transport and fisheries. This was reported by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Turkmenistan.

The course programme includes innovative modules on maritime spatial planning and a special seminar on the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction. Representatives of the IOI and the UN delivered welcoming speeches at the opening ceremony, noting Turkmenistan's leading role in promoting sustainable development in the Caspian region.

The event continues the tradition of international cooperation among the Caspian littoral states in addressing pressing environmental, economic and security issues in this unique water basin.