BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 30. The international course on sustainable development and management of the Caspian Sea has fostered dialogue and professional ties among regional specialists.
The International Ocean Institute’s (IOI) Managing Director, Antonella Vassallo, and Director of the Caspian Sea Institute (CSI) of Turkmenistan, Murad Atajanov, said this in a joint exclusive interview to Trend, assessing the course’s contribution to Caspian governance and regional cooperation.
"The Ashgabat training programme has become an important regional expression of International Ocean Institute’s (IOI) wider mission and global capacity-development work," they said.
According to Vassallo and Atajanov, the programme has brought together mid-career practitioners from the Caspian littoral states since 2013, giving them an opportunity to examine shared challenges, exchange national and professional perspectives and establish lasting working relationships.
"From the perspective of the IOI, the Ashgabat training programme has been a valuable expression of our mission in the Caspian region — a mission rooted in promoting the peaceful and sustainable use of ocean services and resources, and in upholding the principle of the common heritage of mankind," they said.
According to the statement, the programme is also connected to IOI’s wider international capacity-building network, with participants from Ashgabat joining a global community of practitioners working in ocean governance and related fields.
"This regional contribution forms part of IOI’s global portfolio of training programmes, through which more than 2,400 alumni worldwide have been trained in ocean governance and related fields," they said.
The organizers noted that the programme has also helped strengthen a regional network focused specifically on the sustainable development and governance of the Caspian Sea.
"The programme introduces participants from the coastal Caspian states (including Azerbaijan) to subjects including the concepts of sustainable development, marine spatial planning, the Tehran Convention and its protocols, relevant IMO conventions, pollution prevention, biodiversity protection and conflict resolution," they noted.
The programme also provides a platform for discussions on emerging regional concerns, including marine litter and changing environmental conditions, while contributions from UNDP, IMO and IOC/UNESCO connect participants with broader international experience.
At the same time, the organizers stressed that the programme’s contribution should not be linked directly to individual policy decisions or national initiatives.
"We would not attribute a particular policy decision or national initiative solely to the programme. Its contribution is cumulative and can be seen in the stronger shared understanding of governance frameworks among Caspian specialists, the professional relationships developed through successive editions, and the opportunities it creates for continued regional dialogue and cooperation on emerging issues," they said.
The organizers said they are pleased that the programme has provided a sustained contribution to regional cooperation and capacity building in the Caspian region.
For reference, the 11th International Training Course "Caspian Sea – Sustainable Development and Management" was held in Ashgabat from September 7 to 18, 2026. The course was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, the Caspian Sea Institute and the International Ocean Institute.
The opening ceremony brought together representatives of international organizations and specialists working on Caspian issues, including UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Xiaojuan Grace Wang, International Ocean Institute Managing Director Antonella Vassallo, Course Director Parvin Farshchi, marine spatial planning expert Andrey Abramich and Caspian Sea Institute Director Myrat Atajanov.
According to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, 175 specialists from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and China have completed the programme since its launch in 2013. The programme also incorporates practical and collaborative exercises on negotiation, conflict resolution, marine spatial planning and policymaking. Participants work together on Caspian-focused scenarios, applying the knowledge gained during the course to consider cooperative approaches to regional governance.
The 2026 edition placed particular emphasis on the environmental state of the Caspian Sea and issues related to its shallowing.
The International Ocean Institute (IOI) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization focused on ocean governance, training and capacity development. Its headquarters and secretariat are located at the University of Malta in Msida, Malta, where the institute’s Managing Director Antonella Vassallo is based.
The IOI runs training programmes on ocean governance in different regions and lists Turkmenistan as an IOI Training Partner. Its global programme portfolio includes the "Sustainable Development and Governance of the Caspian Sea" course, organized in partnership with the Caspian Sea Institute.
The Caspian Sea Institute was established in Turkmenistan in 2019 to promote cooperation in the Caspian region, conduct marine scientific research and contribute to the development of international and national legal documents related to the Caspian Sea. It also reviews the implementation of relevant international agreements concerning the Caspian.
The institute is headed by Myrat Atajanov, who was appointed its director in August 2019. According to the press service of the Turkmen government, the institute also works on marine studies, methodological and informational materials and cooperation on Caspian issues.
