Prague, 28 January 1997 (RFE/RL) - Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Hassan Hassanov has rejected Turkmenistan's claims on oil fields in the Caspian, but has proposed joint efforts to resolve the dispute.
Hassanov yesterday said he had sent a letter to Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry. Baku last week began asking Ashgabat about claims Turkmenistan is making to oil fields in the Caspian. Azerbaijan says its claims date back to 1970, and current maps show what Turkmenistan claims is in Azerbaijan's sector.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry does say that some fields seem to overlap recognized borders, and Baku proposes bi-lateral talks on joint exploration and development of the fields. The Foreign Ministry also suggested a joint commission on clarifying disputes over Sea borders.