International Ministerial Transport Conference of Landlocked Developing Countries kicked off in a hybrid format at the Congress Center in Avaza National Tourist Zone in Turkmenistan on Monday morning.
The forum, organized on the initiative of Turkmenistan under the aegis of the United Nations, gathered delegation from around 40 states and more than 30 international organizations, the official Turkmen media reports.
The event is also attended by leaders of the UN system, prominent international, regional and sub-regional organizations and financial institutions, representatives of the private sector, non-governmental organizations, academia. Turkmenistan is represented by members of the Government, heads and representatives of ministries and departments.
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov sent a video address to the participants of the conference.
"The analysis of modern processes and prevailing trends in the world economy convincingly shows that the development of transport and communications is becoming increasingly important and decisive,” President Berdimuhamedov stated in his address.
The Head of Turkmenistan emphasized that the potential of new transport and transit junctions is enormous, and that they attract vast areas and human resources, and serious investments.
The conference is held to analyze the progress made by landlocked developing countries in the field of sustainable transport and related SDGs, to determine the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges in this context. Key topics also include addressing the role of the transport sector for post COVID-19 recovery, climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The objectives of the forum are to share knowledge, experiences and innovative approaches, solutions for financing infrastructure in post-pandemic period, ensuring its sustainability and stability, identifying recommendations and opportunities to improve the development and maintenance of transportation infrastructure in landlocked developing countries, and increasing international support and cooperation in the field of transportation for landlocked developing countries.
These recommendations are expected to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs and will be presented at the Third United Nations Conference on landlocked developing countries in 2024.
Photos: Official media of Turkmenistan
