This year marks the 20th anniversary of Caspian Day, also known as the Day for the Protection of the Environment of the Caspian Sea. On August 12, 2006, the five Caspian Sea countries - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan - marked a major milestone when the Tehran Convention (the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea) officially entered into force. Since then, the day has served as a reminder of the ecological importance of the Caspian Sea and the shared responsibility of the five littoral states to preserve it for future generations.

The Caspian Sea occupies a unique place in the geography, ecology, economy, and politics of Eurasia. Although it is called a sea, it is actually the largest enclosed inland body of water in the world. It borders Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, and its vast waters support fisheries, transportation, energy infrastructure, and coastal communities. At the same time, the Caspian is an environmentally sensitive basin that faces serious pressures from pollution, biodiversity loss, industrial activity, and natural fluctuations in water level. For that reason, cooperation among the neighboring states has long been essential.

Caspian Day emerged from the process that led to the adoption and implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, widely known as the Tehran Convention. This agreement was prepared by experts from the Caspian littoral states with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme and other international organizations.

Discussions on the text of the convention continued for several years. Meetings held between 1995 and 2003 helped shape the final legal framework. On November 4, 2003, the convention was signed by the Caspian........

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