The Caspian Sea - Sustainable Development and Management Workshop organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Enterprise for the Caspian Sea under the President of Turkmenistan jointly with the International Ocean Institute (IOI) has started in the Avaza national tourism zone this week. The workshop brought together the heads and leading specialists of ministries and departments concerned and environmental conservation organisations of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, international environmental consultants and experts and mass media representatives.

The State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH) reports that the workshop programme covers a wide range of issues concerning such a critical item on the international agenda as the development of a new global economy model that will balance sustainable economic development of states and the social and environmental aspects of the people's welfare and wellbeing.

A lively exchange of views on the issues relating to the elaboration of the draft Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea as a fundamental document aimed at regulating relationship between coastal states and building a legal framework for fruitful international cooperation took place on the first day of the forum.

The workshop programmes encompasses such themes as ocean management concepts and practices, the principles of sustainable development, coastal zone management, climate change, marine economics, the use of Bilko and GIS software to simulate different situations in the Caspian Sea and other seas, marine spatial planning, etc. Turkmen experts will present overviews on the ongoing national and international programmes and projects in Turkmenistan.

The workshop will continue until March 20.