IRNA � A meeting of the five Caspian Sea littoral states at ministerial level began in Russia on Tuesday to continue their discussions on legal status of the Sea.


Foreign ministers of Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, in their 7th meeting, will discuss and sign cooperation plans on different spheres of the Caspian Sea, including economy, transportation, military maritime activities, fighting smuggling, illegal fishing and shipping security, according to a statement issued by Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The five states in the Caspian Sea region will also discuss important regional and international developments, with the upcoming Summit of Kazakhstan 2017 in view, the statement reads.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters on Monday that five Caspian Sea littoral states have agreed that no foreign force can be deployed in the sea.

The previous summit of the Caspian Sea littoral states was held in Russia's Astrakhan in 2014.