The Caspian between Conflict and Cooperation: A Study of Ways to Expand Cooperation between Iran and Central Asian Republics

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Caspian legal regime and how to exploit its gas and oil resources gained special importance. Despite different formulas have been proposed so far, no general agreement has been reached due to various reasons including the interference of extra-regional powers. Hence, a kind of ambiguity is observed on the exploitation of Caspian resources and on expanded regional cooperation. Describing the positions of Caspian littoral states and examining their respective legal arguments, this paper proposes strategies for securing Islamic Republic of Iran's national interest, which can be useful for better understanding of Caspian legal and economic questions.