Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among all littoral states.

Turkey extended invitations to each littoral state to join Black Sea Harmony.

Iran does not recognize the bilateral agreements between the other littoral states.

Iran continues to insist on a single multilateral agreement between all five littoral states (as the only way to achieve 1/5-th share).

The Persian Gulf will be more secure if the extra-regional powers leave the affairs of this region to the littoral states.

Both are littoral states of the Caspian Sea and possess a common maritime border.

Iran, which had long contended that Gulf security should only involve the littoral states, greeted the declaration with great suspicion.

Now we have the present challenge: are the legitimate existential concerns of smaller littoral states respected or neglected?

It is not right that the project has been prepared without the prior consent of the littoral states.

What is currently needed is a focus on several issues of concern that are of pragmatic interest to all the littoral states.