That is, minus Iran. The leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan met in Aktau to, as they say, ‘informally’ discuss the resources in the Caspian Sea.

No major agreements were signed, because they likely wouldn’t be honored internationally anyway without Iran, but an important message was sent. As Iran is having major domestic unrest and is focused on that for an extended period of time, the post-Soviet states can gather and show a united front. The 4 countries want to have the Caspian designated a sea, for each side to control its own coast rather than divide the resources equally, which Iran, having the shortest coastline, would rather have. Domestic unrest is foreign opportunity.

However, the summit is really just a show of unity. Turkmenistan has claimed gas fields that Azerbaijan disputes, and is taking them to court over it. Russia wants to maintain a monopoly on transporting Central Asian gas and therefore opposes laying pipelines across the Caspian. So with all these crisscrossing interests and oppositions, progress will be slow and posturing frequent.

On August 30, Turkmen president Berdymukhamedov announced he intends to open a new naval base in the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi. The base will, according to the President, “effectively fight smugglers, terrorists and any other forces.”

Turkmenistan has a Coast Guard made up of leftovers from the Soviet Union. For the new base, they will acquire a missile-launching ship and cutters.

The announcement of the base is likely a reaction to Azerbaijan’s move in July to develop oil fields in the Caspian. The Caspian Sea is the site of disputes for all the shoreline states involved. But the major pipeline that Europe wants built, Nabucco, which would transport Turkmen gas through Azerbaijan, makes this an obstacle in Europe’s path to energy source diversification, while it assures Russia of dominance in Europe’s energy markets.

However, this could all turn around as Turkmenistan isn’t happy with Russia either after they blew up a pipeline in Turkmenistan, allegedly an accident.