Although meetings with the representatives of the coastal states on how to settle the status of the Caspian Sea aimed to make a final decision, this was not possible, and there was a need to discuss the issue at the Summit. During these talks, the meeting held in Ashgabat on April 22–23, 2002 was of historical importance. The summit drew attention to 2 main aspects: 1) for the first time, the Caspian littoral states discussed the issues related to the Caspian Sea as a whole, and 2) for the first time, the Ashgabat summit included a search for a compromise between the heads of all coastal states on the status of the Caspian.