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.

One of the main circumstances concerning the determination of Caspian Sea legal status is the issue on the routes through which the energy resources are being transported from the region, because Caspian littoral states do not posses open waters directly connected to World Ocean. During the last ten years the war in Chechnya and Kurdish problem in Turkey affected the problem of choosing the right transportation routes through Turkey and Russia. Oil export through traditional routes from Black Sea with the use of Novorossiysk port was seriously objected by Turkey. With support of United States, Turkey managed to transfer oil from Baku-Ceyhan route. To hinder the oil transportation through Russia, Turkey raised a question on the protection of environment in Bosporus and Dardanelles. Russians in reply accused Turkey of the intervention in Chechnya problem. Each of those sides pursues their own policy to get the right of energy resources export from Caspian Sea.