Caspian Sea talks

A special Turkmen envoy is beginning talks in Tehran on the division of the oil-rich Caspian Sea among the countries around it.

So far Iran, Turkmenistan, Russian, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have failed to agree on the status of the sea, and correspondents say the disagreements are threatening to undermine oil exploration projects.

There have also been reports that the Iranian President, Mohammed Khatami, is planning to visit Turkmenistan in the near future.

Russian officials are meanwhile due in Tehran next week for talks on the status of the sea.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service