The Russian government has approved a draft agreement with Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on joint hydro-meteorological research in the Caspian region.

The purpose of the planned accord is to create a comprehensive regional weather service for the Caspian Sea "in the interests of safety and sustained economic development," Russia's government said.

In a directive posted on its website, the government said the draft had been submitted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and approved by the Foreign Ministry and other Russian governmental bodies.

The directive ordered the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection to sign the planned agreement and authorized the ministry to make "inessential changes" to the draft.

A Hydro-meteorological Coordinating Committee would be set up to oversee studies under the planned accord. Each signatory country would delegate one representative to the committee, whose official languages would be those of the signatory littoral nations and English. English and Russian would be the committee's working languages.

ANN.Az