Voices of landlocked developing countries must be louder – President Tokayev

In his remarks, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, for the initiative to convene the conference. He also thanked the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, for the commitment to addressing the challenges and unlocking the potential of landlocked developing countries.

The President said that more than two decades ago, Kazakhstan hosted the 1^st UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, “which symbolized the beginning of its longstanding uninterrupted participation in this process.”

He reminded of the adoption of Almaty Action Program which for the first time included the problems of LLDC into the global agenda.

“Today we have gathered in Awaza to make new efforts to further advance in achieving the challenges we face,” President Tokayev said.

He noted that more than 500,000 people live in the 32 landlocked developing countries today. Many of them still face barriers in access to finance, technology and global markets.

According to the Kazakh President, limited regional transport links remain a major challenge for landlocked countries, which entails a number of economic challenges, including high transit and trade costs, and vulnerability to geopolitical factors. He pointed out that these restrictions affect the well-being of citizens and reduce competitiveness. They are further exacerbated by conflicts, economic sanctions, supply chain disruptions and rising global mistrust.

“Nevertheless, Kazakhstan believes that LLDCs should be considered as equal and promising partners in shaping decisions on the global agenda. The voices of landlocked developing countries must be louder, our cooperation must be deeper, and our collective ambition must be bolder,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

The President emphasized that Kazakhstan fully supports the Awaza Programme of Action as a road map towards building sustainable, inclusive and stable future. He stressed that this important undertaking should receive political support from transit countries, international development organizations and financial institutions.

“We need innovative financial mechanisms to stimulate investment in key sectors such as transport, energy and digital infrastructure,” stated he.

Another pressing issue, according to the Kazakh President, is climate change. He noted that many LLDCs face water shortage, glaciers melting, desertification and other extreme climate phenomena. To tackle these challenges coordinated regional efforts and strong international support are required, he said.

“At the same time, I believe that climate action must remain balanced and inclusive, and meet countries’ development needs. In order to enhance our joint efforts to combat climate change, I invite you to the Regional Climate Summit, which will be held in Astana in partnership with the United Nations in April next year,” he said. 

Earlier it was reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived at the Awaza Congress Center to attend the official welcoming ceremony of the heads of delegations.

He participated in the informal meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia.

The 3^rd UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries is ongoing in Turkmenistan between August 5 and 8.