Iran, Russia pledge peace in Caspian

Russia and Iran have pledged to protect peace and order in the Caspian Sea and settle disputes in a diplomatic manner.

Russian deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Kalyuzhny said after a meeting in Moscow with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Ahani, that Russia was pleased that regional tensions were eased in the course of intensive talks.

The meeting follows an incident two weeks ago when Iran sent a ship to warn off two Azeri oil exploration vessels in a disputed area in the south of the Caspian.

But correspondents say the talks sidestepped the most controversial issue: division of the sea between the five countries around it to allow full exploitation of its massive oil and gas deposits.

The Turkish foreign ministry on Wednesday called on Iran and Azerbaijan to resolve their dispute over the status of the sea through dialogue.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service