{"id":128,"date":"2018-09-10T13:35:10","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T14:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malvinartley.com\/blog.malvinartley.com\/?p=128"},"modified":"2018-09-22T07:16:10","modified_gmt":"2018-09-22T08:16:10","slug":"the-convention-on-the-legal-status-of-the-caspian-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malvinartley.com\/blog.malvinartley.com\/2018\/09\/10\/the-convention-on-the-legal-status-of-the-caspian-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"The Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 12 Aug 18 the five nations that border the Caspian Sea signed a historic agreement<\/a><\/span> that will have very significant impacts in Eurasian relations and integration, probably far into the future. The five nations \u2013 Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan \u2013 signed the agreement at Aktau, Kazakstan after over 20 years of difficult negotiations. Media outlets from around the world<\/a><\/span> covered the event. The convention has solved many security issues for the region, has defined borders in the Caspian Sea and enables unfettered implementation of energy projects and transit, provided the signatory states agree. It also stipulates that no foreign powers<\/a><\/span> \u2013 such as the US and NATO \u2013 can place military bases in those nations. The last two points, energy and military bases, have foreign policy planners in Washington and London royally peeved<\/a><\/span>, because it shuts the US and UK out of the immediate region and greatly benefits China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative, not to mention significantly easing Russian security concerns. Two of the signatories \u2013 Russia and Iran \u2013 are guaranteed a free transit route between them, in case any great troubles were to take place with Iran, another factor which has particularly irked Washington, because Western powers would not be able to interdict such shipments directly from the states involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

The chart of the signing (time is approximate) is below (click here for large chart<\/a><\/span>):<\/span><\/p>\n

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In it we see the agreement (7th<\/sup> house) is ruled by Pisces (large bodies of water and seas), with Neptune in the 6th<\/sup> house (services and military). Neptune in turn is trine to Jupiter, showing that the accord will have success, and is conjunct the Vertex in the 6th<\/sup> house (services and military) showing the visionary character of the agreement. In addition, there is a dissociate grand trine between the Moon, Saturn and Uranus, with Saturn and Uranus in earth signs, earth governing territories and land in general. This is a very tenacious combination. And, with the Moon in Leo in the 11th<\/sup> house (maybe), it marks the friendships and optimism displayed in the signing. The Virgo Ascendant shows the detail and careful negotiations that went into it, with a Mars\/Uranus square showing the great independence expressed by the five states and the hands-off attitude toward foreign powers. There is also a Venus\/Saturn square which further enhances the idea of careful negotiations, as well as the hands-off attitude. In all, it is a remarkable chart for an equally remarkable agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n

There was no single winner in the agreement and no losers, and each state had to make concessions. Iran was one of the biggest holdouts. Security in the region was an overriding concern. The key points addressed<\/a><\/span> in the agreement, aside from the ones cited, were as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n