§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 22 June,Official Report, column 181, if he will make a statement on the view submitted by the Government of the Russian Federation to Her Majesty's embassy in Moscow about the legal status of the Caspian sea and the implications of those Russian views on the British-Azerbaijani memorandum signed in February on oil and gas projects in the Caspian sea.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe note from the Russian Foreign Ministry set out the Russian views on the status of the Caspian sea—namely, that this is a single eco-system to be used jointly by all Caspian states. It also stated that steps taken by any Caspian state to obtain any advantages as regards the area and resources of the Caspian sea are contrary to the interests of other Caspian states and cannot be recognised.
The memorandum on co-operation between the United Kingdom and Azerbaijan in the field of energy indicates the intention of the two Governments actively to encourage increased co-operation in areas of oil and gas exploration and development. This work continues.