Delimitation of Boundaries of the Caspian Sea in international Law

Abstract

Among the various names given to it, "Caspian Sea" is the most appropriate and common term to refer to the largest enclosed body of water in the world, located in the vicinity of Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. The legal regime of the Caspian Sea was established by treaties in 1921 and 1940, and remained in place until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite their commitment to the Soviet treaties and the disregard for the customary boundary created and other reasons, each of the littoral states are now signing new bilateral and trilateral treaties to secure a larger share of the Caspian Sea. The activities of a special working group of the littoral states have been ongoing since 1996. This article seeks to present the best available solution for identifying the legal regime and defining the boundaries of the Caspian Sea in accordance with international law by examining the positions of the countries and organizing the legal complexities of the region.