Co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Enterprise on the Caspian Sea Issues under the President of Turkmenistan, and the International Ocean Institute (IOI), the international training seminar, “The Caspian Sea – sustainable development and management”, has ended in the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone. As Director of the IOI seminar, IOC UNESCO Adviser, Doctor of Geography Yuri Olyunin noted, the program of the training seminar (now in its fifth year in our country) includes three main subjects – economy, ecology and international law. The seminar attendees gained insights into the Conception of Common Heritage of Mankind – the Global Ocean, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the activities of the International Ocean Institute and the Global Environmental Facility. Special focus was on the 2030 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The Caspian Sea littoral states like other countries in the world are actively working towards their implementation in national plans and programs. Seminar participants also studied marine ecosystems, the impact of climate change on the marine environment, marine biodiversity, modern-day methods of estimating the impact of human activities on the environment, maritime spatial planning. The attendees were offered overviews on the rules of international law, applied in petroleum and gas prospecting and exploitation, navigation control, aimed to protect the maritime environment and fish resources in the Caspian Sea. Each set of lectures ended with practical training to practice necessary skills in holding constructive negotiations, and working out business projects. The seminar participants practiced in strategic planning patterns for the key sectors of the economy of the Caspian Sea littoral states for the next 5– 20 years, while applying modern integrated control methods for marine resources and littoral areas. During the seminar, the parties highlighted the advisability of promoting the Caspian Sea Ecological Program, which in due time was the result of combined efforts by Turkmenistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran as well as authoritative international partner organizations – the Global Environmental Facility, the United Nations Development Program, the United Nations Environment Program, and the World Bank. A special session was devoted to the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea and its coast. The training participants were introduced to the infrastructure and development prospects for the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone and paid a visit to the city of Turkmenbashi and Khazar State Reserve. The artificial island project, carried out concurrently with the international seaport construction project, drew much interest. The island with an area of 170 hectares provides a habitat, a nesting place and a wintering ground for flamingos, swans, geese, ducks, herons, pelicans and other species of birds. The seminar participants had a chance to watch the birds in the bay. At the end of the training course, the attendees made a number of presentations. One of them focused on “Development prospects for transport corridors, construction of oil and gas pipelines in the Caspian region”. The other was devoted to “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” adopted by the United Nations, which first ever included the Goal that is of particular importance for entire humanity – “Preservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources ”. The participants also discussed a contribution to be made by the Caspian Sea littoral states in achieving the Goal. The training attendees spoke for encouraging the practice of seminars in order to study world experience, raise the professional level of national specialists, and create new ways of communication between representatives of the littoral countries’ government institutions.