Available in Russian
Author: Vladislav Tolstykh
DOI: 10.21128/2226-2059-2024-1-110-135
Keywords: Caspian Sea; law of the sea; condominium; delimitation; equidistance/relevant circumstances method; territorial disputes
The legal regime of the Caspian Sea is sui generis: it does not assume the automatic application of either maritime law or “lake law”, especially since the latter does not contain a unified approach in terms of management or resource allocation. Its evolution thus depends on the goodwill of the riparian States. The regime is composite – its elements have been developed in different periods. Some are original, others gravitate towards existing models; some are enshrined in treaties, others in customs; some bind all littoral states, others only some of them; and some are precise, others need to be clarified and interpreted. This regime does not imply condominium, either with respect to the entire water area or to the former Soviet sector. It does not imply delimitation of the seabed along certain lines, except those established in bilateral agreements for the northern part. This regime is incomplete and contains gaps which can be explained by two reasons. The first is the weak legal tradition of the coastal states, i.e., their unwillingness (and inability) to be guided by international law and to use the procedures of dispute resolution. The second is the objective nature and complexity of the existing contradictions. This incompleteness prevents effective development of marine resources, negatively affects ecological conditions, and is the grounds for international conflicts and unilateral decisions. In recent years, the conflict potential of the region has increased significantly as a result of both regional and global political factors. The most difficult problem of the Caspian Sea regime is the delimitation of the seabed in its southern part. It can be resolved by applying approaches developed for maritime delimitation, such as the equidistance/relevant circumstances method. The result, involving a reasonable compromise between extreme claims, could very well satisfy the littoral states.
About the author: Vladislav Tolstykh – Doctor of Sciences in Law, Professor, Department of International Law, MGIMO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia; Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
Citation: Tolstykh V. (2024) Mezhdunarodno-pravovoy rezhim Kaspiyskogo morya: dinamika i problemy kvalifikatsii [The international legal regime of the Caspian Sea: dynamics and problems of qualification]. Mezhdunarodnoe pravosudie, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 110–135. (In Russian).
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