BAKU. March 18 (Interfax-Azerbaijan) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Kalyuzhny has criticized plans to demilitarize the Caspian region.
"Russia is opposed to suggestions put forward by some Caspian states calling for the region to be demilitarized," Kalyuzhny, who is also the Russian president's special envoy on Caspian affairs, told a session of the Caspian Business Integration Club in Baku on Wednesday.
"Demilitarization may be possible in 10, 20 or 30 years. But I think it is wrong to speak about demilitarizing the Caspian Sea region today, given remaining tensions and the presence of U.S. bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan," he said.
Commenting on the number of terrorism and drug trafficking threats facing the region, he said that "even if we agree that the Caspian Sea should have a coastal area with territorial water, this is already a border which requires protection. Thus, any demilitarization is out of the question if we need to protect this border."
Kalyuzhny also criticized U.S. plans to help some Caspian nations ensure regional security. "Caspian problems can be resolved by the states themselves, since they are sovereign, independent, have growing economies and are recognized worldwide," he said.
"We have the Russian president's instructions to ensure the maximum volume of Caspian energy resource transportation through Russia. The United States has accused us of holding a monopoly in this area. But the United States is playing its own game," he said.