Kassym-Jomart Tokayev warns Caspian Sea crisis poses serious economic risks

Addressing those present, the Head of State expressed gratitude to Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for a timely and important initiative to convene the first Caspian Environmental Summit.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described today’s meeting as historic.

He said the Caspian Sea is a unique natural treasure, a source of livelihood for millions of people, and a key transportation and energy link across Eurasia. He stressed that protecting the sea’s fragile ecosystem is a shared responsibility of all countries bordering the Caspian Sea.

The President noted that between 2000 and 2025, the Caspian Sea surface area shrank by more than 16,000 square kilometers, while some sections of the shoreline receded by dozens of kilometers. He attributed the deterioration to reduced water inflows, climate change, and increasing human activity.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also expressed concern over the sharp decline in the population of Caspian seals, which has fallen from around one million a century ago to approximately 270,000 today.

He warned that unless decisive measures are taken immediately, the environmental crisis could cause irreversible damage not only to the peoples of the Caspian region but also to the broader international community.

Earlier, the President of Kazakhstan called on CIS countries to strengthen dialogue based on mutual trust.

As written before, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Turkmenistan for a working visit.