After the collapse of the USSR, three independent states began to divide the
area of the Caspian Sea. In accordance with the
principle of the succession of states in international law, the question arose about the succession
of the legal system by new countries, the rights
and duties of the Soviet Union and Iran in accordance with the new realities after the collapse of
the USSR. After the collapse of the USSR, the
independent republics of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan insisted on the division
of the Caspian Sea and expressed their opposition to the succession of agreements concluded
between Iran and Russia due to the abundance of
oil and gas reserves on their shores.
Russia’s approach was based on two fundamental points. The Caspian Sea is a unique inland water basin and cannot be considered a sea
from an international point of view. Case law
should be applied here.