Amid the growing strategic importance of the region, the First International Meeting of Caspian Region Governors was held on November 18–19 in Rasht, Gilan Province, Iran, under the motto "The Caspian Sea – a Bridge of Friendship and Regional Development."

The choice of Gilan Province was no coincidence: the region is a crucial link in the transport chain connecting Iran with the Caspian countries, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, playing a key role in the International North-South Transport Corridor as one of the main axes of multimodal transit.

The forum was attended by high-ranking delegations from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Iran, as well as representatives of Iranian ministries, agencies, and ports. Foreign Minister of Iran Seyed Abbas Araghchi welcomed the participants. He emphasized that Iran considers its Caspian neighbors a top priority and announced the launch of "provincial diplomacy"—a mechanism that will allow Iran's regions to actively develop international relations with their neighbors.

Abbas Araghchi noted that this conference will provide valuable experience, and the Caspian Governors' Forum will become a regular event, held alternately in the Caspian Five countries. This underscores the long-term nature of the new cooperation format.

Furthermore, in the context of developing relations with neighboring countries, Minister Araghchi announced the Iranian President's upcoming visit: "I believe he will visit Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan within the next month." This demonstrates the high level of political interaction and confirms the importance of direct dialogue with our Caspian partners.

Shared Priorities: Environment and Transit

The forum was organized to enhance cooperation between the Caspian littoral regions and strengthen economic, cultural, tourism, and environmental ties. A general session and three specialized panels focused on economics and investment, transit and logistics, and the environment and fisheries.

Participants adopted a joint statement emphasizing the importance of expanding economic cooperation and developing transport infrastructure; environmental protection, including combating marine pollution, preserving biodiversity, and investigating the causes of declining water levels.

A key topic was exploring the potential of Caspian ports and emphasizing the national priority of the Rasht-Astara railway project as a pillar of the North-South Corridor.

Bilateral Dialogue: Gilan and Balkan Province

As part of the summit, a bilateral meeting was held between Gilan Province Governor Hadi Haqshenas and Balkan Province Governor Hojamyrat Ashirmyradov. The regional leaders emphasized the importance of developing cooperation in the economic, energy, transport, and tourism sectors.

The Gilan Province Governor expressed readiness to expand bilateral cooperation in energy exchanges, including oil and diesel fuel, and proposed establishing and strengthening air routes from Rasht to regional destinations connected to Ashgabat. Furthermore, a proposal was made to open a branch of the Caspian Bank in the Anzali Free Economic Zone to facilitate economic exchange.

The Balkan Province Governor praised the meeting, calling for the development of cooperation between the border regions. He emphasized that the cultural closeness between the peoples of the two countries paves the way for strengthening ties and that existing potential should be transformed into joint and concrete projects in the areas of trade, energy, transport and tourism.

ORIENT