Firstly, Azerbaijani leaders made attempts to make Caspian Sea be considered international lake without any access to World Ocean. According to this point of view, all the resources should be divided between Caspian littoral states. As a proof of its view point Azerbaijani side showed Lake Ontario divided between the USA and Canada, Lake Chad divided between Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, Lake Geneva divided between France and Switzerland. Those lakes were split by fixed separating lines and each state uses its own property.

Russia considers the Caspian Sea as a lake that is surrounded by land from all sides and isolated from international waters, seas and oceans. Thus international marine law can not be applied to Caspian Sea. According to Russian representatives, Caspian basin is a common property. Its resources under the surface must be used on the base of common agreement of littoral states. In corporation with this point of view the base of those kinds of agreements should be agreements signed between Iran and Soviet Union on February of 1921 and March of 1940. Along with this one thing must be taken into consideration that Caspian littoral states have announced that they recognize those conventions. It is shown in Iranian-soviet agreements that the use of Caspian resources must be cooperated with the presence of all Caspian littoral states. Russian Leaders call illegal all individual agreements signed between the littoral states. Russians always insist on the fact that according to agreement signed in 1940 Caspian Sea belongs to Iran and Soviet Union.

At the beginning of last decade five new states emerged from existing two on the coast of Caspian Sea and this lead to significant changes in the region. During Soviet Union period republics situated on the coast of Caspian Sea kept their relations mainly through Moscow in the frames of socialist union and that’s why Iran had only one neighbor to settle regional issues with. But after the Soviet Union collapsed the new states were attracted by common problems of the region such as use of resources under the Caspian Sea as a main source of financial means. Turkmenistan possesses significant reserves of natural gas and holds fourth place in the world, that’s why this state is not interested in the use of Caspian deposits. For Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan Caspian Sea reserves play huge role. Meanwhile for Russia and Iran, also Turkmenistan the use of energy resources is important from the political and state sovereignty stand point.

National currency is manat.