After 2 decades of dispute, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan agree on landmark deal to divide Caspian Sea

It is a landmark deal that has been more than two decades in the making.

Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan - all bordering the Caspian Sea - have agreed in principle on how to divide it up.

Their leaders signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea in the Kazakh city of Aktau on Sunday.

It establishes a formula for dividing up its resources and prevents other powers from setting up a military presence there.

It is an important step in the easing of regional tensions, but the deal over the world's largest inland body of water matters for several reasons.
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