Training course "Caspian Sea - Sustainable Development and Management"

On July 14, 2025, a two-week training course “Caspian Sea – Sustainable Development and Management” started in Ashgabat, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Oil and Gas Complex and the Caspian Sea Institute of Turkmenistan in cooperation with the International Ocean Institute (IOI).

The course participants include environmentalists, diplomats, border guards, oil industry specialists, hydrometeorologists, hydrographers, lawyers, economists, transport sector workers, representatives of the fishing industry and other relevant specialists from Turkmenistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, whose professional activities are related to various aspects of the Caspian region.

The opening ceremony of the course was attended by the Managing Director of the IOI Antonella Vassallo, the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Dmitry Shlapachenko, the Director of the training course Parvin Farshchi, and the Honorary President of the IOI Awni Behnam addressed the audience via video link.

The participants of the event noted the positive trend of the Caspian negotiation track and the great contribution of Turkmenistan to the promotion of ideas and mechanisms for sustainable development in the region.

The curriculum of the training course traditionally includes an intensive module on marine spatial planning. Also, for the first time, a special seminar on the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction is planned as part of the course.