The Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea – the first legally binding agreement on any subject to be adopted by the five Caspian neighbors – will enter into force on 12 August 2006.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to change the course of a Siberian oil pipeline to eliminate risk to the UN World Heritage site of Lake Baikal, the world's oldest and deepest lake containing 20 per cent of Earth's surface fresh water, was welcomed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and people around the world.