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Putin urges Caspian Sea countries to boost cooperation

MOSCOW, June 29 (KUNA) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday urged Caspian Sea states to elevate level of cooperation among them at various levels.
The Russian news agency, Tass, quoted Putin as affirming necessity of promoting the economic, business and investment cooperation among the regional countries, noting that trade among them has noticeably increased.
He was addressing a summit of the Caspian Sea states held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. It was Putin's first participation in a conference outside Russia since outbreak of the coronavirus.
Moreover, Putin stressed that the regional countries must adhere to the legal treaty for the Caspian Treaty, inked in 2018. Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan had signed the accord that essentially bars "presence of foreign forces" in the Caspian Sea region.
The meeting is held in the shadow of heightening tension between Russian and western powers over Moscow's ongoing "special military operation" in Ukraine. (end) as.rk