Turkmenistan's Avaza hosts UN conference on landlocked countries
The conference focuses on structural challenges faced by the world's 32 landlocked developing countries, which are home to over 600 million people.
The conference was opened by Turkmenistan's National Leader and Chairman of the People's Council Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, together with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the 79th UN General Assembly session Philemon Yang, and representatives from international organizations and participating countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Guterres underlined the urgency of reducing global inequalities.
'These inequalities are not inevitable. This conference is not about obstacles — it is about solutions,' Guterres said.
'It is about launching a new decade of ambition — through the Avaza Program of Action — and fully unlocking the development potential of landlocked developing countries.'
The UN chief called for bold action to support landlocked economies.
'Despite representing 7 percent of the world's population, LLDCs account for just over 1 percent of the global economy and trade — a stark example of deep inequalities that perpetuate marginalization," according to UN Secretary-General Guterres.
UN officials aim to resolve this disparity through stronger partnerships and infrastructure investments.
Located on the Caspian Sea coast near the port city of Turkmenbashi in western Turkmenistan, Avaza serves as a growing hub for wellness, leisure, and ecological tourism.
Turkmenistan says the site shows its commitment to linking international diplomacy with regional development, with tourism as a key driver of the nation's socio-economic progress.
Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdimuhamedov cited the historic conference on the shores of the Caspian and noted it as symbolic to promote peace, development and global cooperation in the International Year of Peace and Trust, a UN initiative proposed by Turkmenistan.
Berdimuhamedov also said that the gathering shows unity with the goals of peace, progress and well-being.
Meanwhile, Berdimuhamedov met with Guterres to reaffirm Turkmenistan's support for sustainable development and global integration on the sidelines of the event.
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