BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 18. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other Caspian states can and should actively promote initiatives for the protection of the Caspian Sea, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in an exclusive interview with Kazinform News Agency ahead of his state visit to Kazakhstan, Trend reports.
"Today, unfortunately, the Caspian Sea is facing a number of serious environmental challenges. One of the most pressing problems is the shallowing — the rapid decline in the water level — which poses both ecological and economic threats. At the Sixth Caspian Summit, held in 2022, I raised the issue of ecological imbalance in the Caspian Sea. Unfortunately, since then, the situation has only worsened. The water level in the Caspian Sea is rapidly declining, and the reasons for this lie not only in climate change," President Ilham Aliyev said.
The head of state pointed out that in this situation, it is extremely important for all Caspian littoral states to establish close cooperation, actively exchange scientific information, and develop coordinated measures to mitigate the consequences.
"The drop in the Caspian Sea’s water level and the resulting environmental changes threaten biodiversity and the sustainability of the ecosystem, requiring coordinated actions to protect nature and restore ecological balance.
In addition, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other Caspian states can and should actively promote initiatives for the protection of the Caspian Sea at regional and international platforms. Amid growing transnational environmental risks, the Caspian Sea is no longer merely a body of water but has become a symbol of our shared responsibility and the necessity for united action," President Ilham Aliyev noted.