On 23-25 September 2005 a conference entitled «The Caspian Sea: Legal Status and Regime, Regional Security and Environmental Protection» was held in the «Regent Almaty Hotel» in Almaty. The event was organized by the Institute of State and Law of the Kazakh Humanitarian-Law University.

The agenda was focused on the legal issues concerning the Caspian Sea, preservation and rational usage of the Caspian bio-resources, transportation of the mineral resources, problems when signing subsoil use contracts, etc.

Taking into consideration the importance of the problem, the conference attracted much attention. Participants included: leading specialists of the Caspian problem from Kazakhstan, USA, UK, China and Azerbaijan; high representatives of Ministries and Departments from the Caspian countries; managers of the big oil companies operating in the region (KazMunaiGas, TengizChevroil, Chevron Texaco and others) and heads of law firms.

Mr. Tlek Baigabulov, a Managing Partner of GRATA Law Firm, and Ms. Assel Amanova, Lawyer of GRATA and junior researcher of the Institute of State and Law took active part in the event. Ms. Amanova gave a speech on «Legal aspects of researches of the resources of the continental shelf of the Caspian Sea».

The scientific-practical recommendations for the Caspian countries were worked out during the Conference.