This morning, the International Conference at the level of ministers of transport of developing countries that do not have access to the sea in a hybrid format began its work at the Congress Center of the «Avaza» National Tourist Zone.

 The forum, organized on the initiative of Turkmenistan under the auspices of the UN, is attended by delegations from about 40 states and over 30 international organizations.  The event also brought together heads of UN agencies, authoritative international, regional and subregional organizations and financial structures, representatives of the private sector, non-governmental associations, and academia.

 The Turkmen side at the forum is represented by members of the government, heads and representatives of a number of ministries and departments.

 Among the main objectives of the conference is to analyze the progress made by landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) in the field of sustainable transport, to determine the impact in this context of the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges.  The forum participants will also discuss the key role of transport in post-COVID-19 recovery, climate change mitigation and adaptation.

 The two-day forum will provide an opportunity for participants to share knowledge, experience and innovative approaches, solutions for financing infrastructure after the coronavirus pandemic, identify recommendations and opportunities for improving the development and maintenance of transport infrastructure in LLDCs, as well as for increasing international support in  transport and strengthening cooperation in this area for the benefit of LLDCs.

 It is expected that these recommendations will be aimed at accelerating the achievement of the sustainable development goals and will be presented at the Third UN Conference on LLDCs in 2024.