Tehran hosts Caspian Governors’ Forum to enhance regional cooperation
Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea hold equal strategic significance: Araghchi
Iran convened the first forum of governors from Caspian littoral provinces on Tuesday in the northern city of Rasht, signaling a strategic push to deepen regional collaboration on energy, transit corridors, environmental protection, and economic development around the world’s largest enclosed inland sea.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day meeting — held under the slogan “The Caspian: A Bridge of Friendship and Regional Development” — Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized Tehran’s commitment to what he described as “provincial diplomacy,” an initiative aimed at cementing ties between subnational authorities across the Caspian region.
“Just as the Persian Gulf and its surrounding areas are important to us, the Caspian Sea holds equal strategic significance,” Araghchi said. “The littoral states have long recognized the shared interests and, at times, common concerns in this region, leading us to initiate cooperative frameworks years ago.”
Araghchi highlighted that Iran’s foreign policy prioritizes its neighbors, with a focus on leveraging political, economic, social, cultural, and security capacities for mutual benefit. He added that the Caspian region is “crucial not only in energy but also in transit corridors,” and that economic and trade cooperation among Caspian states via the sea route carries “extraordinary importance” for all involved.
The forum, organized at Iran’s initiative, brought together delegations from nine foreign regions and five Iranian provinces. It follows a recent Caspian heads-of-state summit and precedes an upcoming meeting of foreign ministers from the five Caspian littoral countries — Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan.
“This gathering today represents a form of ‘provincial diplomacy’ that Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched some time ago,” Araghchi told reporters in a press briefing on the sidelines of the meeting.
Officials stressed that the forum aims to familiarize Caspian coastal provinces with each other’s capabilities and challenges, and to create joint mechanisms for problem-solving.
“There are excellent opportunities for collaboration — in transit corridors, energy, tourism, and trade,” Araghchi noted. “Having governors engage directly will help them better understand and utilize each other’s potential.”
A joint communiqué is currently being drafted and is expected to be issued following approval by all participating governors, he said.
‘Unified zone’
Kazem Gharibabadi, the deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, underscored the interconnected fate of Caspian coastal communities, calling the sea “a unified civilizational, economic, environmental, and security zone.”
“The coastal provinces of all five littoral states bear significant responsibility in managing the Caspian’s rich resources — from its valuable fisheries and vital energy reserves to commercial ports and international transit routes,” Gharibabadi said.
The deputy foreign minister added that the Caspian Sea is the world’s largest source of sturgeon and caviar-producing fish, making its fisheries “fundamental to regional food security.” He stressed that sustainable management, combating illegal fishing, and joint stock-rebuilding programs are only possible through coordinated action among provinces.
40% of Dagestan's trade is with Iran
Russian officials echoed Iran’s emphasis on regional synergy, with Abdulmuslim Abdulmuslimov, the prime minister of the Republic of Dagestan, noting that 40% of his region’s foreign trade is with Iran and identifying the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as a top priority for Moscow.
Igor Babushkin, the governor of Russia’s Astrakhan Region, called the forum “a sign of growing cooperation at the highest levels,” adding, “We live in a unique region endowed with vast resources and potential for collaboration. Given these assets, we must reinforce our partnerships — especially as our national leaders attach special importance to our dialogue.”
Also present was the deputy prime minister of the Republic of Kalmykia, who described the inaugural governors’ forum as “a positive step toward strengthening ties and communication among Caspian coastal regions.”