Kathmandu. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is in the coastal city of Avaza, Turkmenistan, leading the Nepali delegation to participate in the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC), is participating in various programs today.
Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to address a discussion session on ‘Enhancing Adaptive Capacity and Resilience to Disasters Caused by Climate Change by Landlocked Developing Countries’ today.
Similarly, Prime Minister Oli will co-chair a discussion session on trade and commerce facilitation and regional cooperation for landlocked developing countries, according to his secretariat.
Similarly, Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to pay courtesy calls on the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan today.
Prime Minister Oli was formally invited to the event, which is being held in Avaza from 20 to 23 July, by Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The conference, which will be attended by 32 landlocked developing countries located in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America with a population of approximately 440 million, is discussing issues related to the lack of direct regional access to the sea and their remoteness and isolation from global markets.
Since the international trade of these countries depends on transit through other countries, additional border crossings and long distances from major markets, cumbersome transit procedures and inadequate infrastructure, which significantly increase the total cost of transportation and other transaction costs, are ongoing discussions on increasing the competitiveness of landlocked developing countries.
The visiting team led by Prime Minister Oli includes his wife Radhika Shakya, Chief Advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Member of the House of Representatives Surya Bahadur Thapa Chhetri, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister Rajesh Bajracharya, Personal Physician Prof. Dr. Divya Singh Shah, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Amrit Bahadur Rai, and high-ranking government officials.
Landlocked developing countries struggle with international trade, connectivity, and economic development due to their lack of direct territorial access to the sea. Isolated from global markets and without the means to develop adequate transport and food infrastructure, the third conference is being held in a context where landlocked developing countries face serious challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The conference is expected to address these challenges and assess the full potential of these countries through innovative solutions, strategic partnerships, and increased investment. The conference will support these countries in building a mutually equitable and prosperous future.
The Second United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries was held in Vienna, Austria, on 3-5 November 2014.
The conference reviewed the implementation of the Almaty Platform for Action and discussed the issues of international, regional, subregional and national trade and transit transport cooperation policies and transit transport systems in the context of partnerships and opportunities to address new and emerging challenges. (RSS)