Military use of Caspian Sea is intolerable, says Kazakhstan’s leader

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on April 22 called on countries to refrain from using the Caspian Sea for military purposes.

Tokayev did not name any particular countries in his appeal, though since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have periodically been reports of it firing Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukrainian territory from naval fleet vessels on the Caspian Sea, while, including in recent weeks, the Ukrainians have attacked Russian oil drilling platforms on the landlocked body of water with armed drones. Russia also fires missiles, including the Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile, at Ukraine from the Kapustin Yar weapons testing site, located about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the Caspian shoreline, while Israel has lately hit Bandar Anzali, an Iranian naval outpost on the Caspian, with airstrikes.

Tokayev expressed his concerns at the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES 2026), which his presidency is holding in conjunction with the United Nations in Astana from April 22-24.

As reported by Azattyq Asia on April 22, Tokayev stressed that the Caspian Sea – shared between Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan – is of particular importance in maintaining the ecological balance and biodiversity in its region and said: "The use of armed forces in proximity to the Caspian Sea cannot be tolerated. It must be strictly prohibited."

The five states that border the sea are signatories to the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, under which they are supposed to ensure that the inland lake, as it is sometimes referred to, is used exclusively for peaceful purposes and developed as a zone of cooperation.

Kazakhstan is at the forefront of efforts to address the issue of the Caspian Sea shrinking.

At the summit, Tokayev – seen by some observers as likely to bid to become the next secretary-general of the UN – pointed to issues faced by all of Central Asia including water scarcity, desertification, melting glaciers, air pollution and the threat of biodiversity loss. Pollution caused by Caspian Sea or Caspian region military activities or attacks is clearly another worry.

"Our countries live in a single ecosystem. Rivers and lakes, natural landscapes, and climate threats are common to all of us. Most importantly, we share responsibility equally," Tokayev told summit delegates.