President Khachaturyan calls for stronger regional cooperation between landlocked and transit countries

President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan participated in the official opening ceremony of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan.

According to the Presidential Office, following the reception of heads of delegations and the official photo session, the plenary session of the conference commenced, during which President Khachaturyan delivered a speech.

President Khachaturyan expressed gratitude to the Government of Turkmenistan for organizing the conference at a high level and for their warm hospitality. He also extended gratitude to the UN High Representative, Ms. Rabab Fatima, who serves as Secretary of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, and her team, for their leadership in keeping the priorities of landlocked developing countries high on the UN agenda.

“Access to global markets is vital for ensuring inclusive and sustainable development. In today’s interconnected world, cross-border flows of goods, services, and people are powerful drivers of shared prosperity,” the President said.

He noted, however, that landlocked developing countries continue to face serious challenges due to geographical constraints, which hinder their full participation in global trade, limit economic diversification, and reduce investment attractiveness, slowing down progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

“To overcome these challenges and transform the lives and economies of landlocked developing countries, we now have a clear and forward-looking roadmap,” the President said, referring to the Awaza Programme of Action, a comprehensive document outlining concrete steps, commitments, and outcomes for all stakeholders, particularly in addressing the socio-economic impact of emerging threats.

President Khachaturyan emphasized that the five priority areas of the new Action Plan, which build on the Vienna Programme of Action, directly address the most urgent issues landlocked developing countries face.

He said the Awaza Programme of Action could serve as a guide for closer cooperation between landlocked developing countries, transit countries, the United Nations and its agencies, as well as international development organizations and financial institutions, to achieve rapid and tangible results.

“However,” he warned, “turning the ambitions of the new Action Plan into reality is a significant challenge, especially due to a lack of funding for transport infrastructure. Landlocked developing countries cannot do this alone. Strengthened regional cooperation between landlocked and transit countries is essential.”

The President stressed that artificial and politically motivated barriers to the free movement of people, goods, and services must be removed. “This is not only a practical necessity but also vital to ensure economic and social rights, the right to development, and full regional and global connectivity.”

He also acknowledged the importance of international support for investment in cross-border infrastructure to make trade faster and more efficient.

“We must ensure that landlocked developing countries are fully engaged in the global digital and green transformation to prevent economic lag. Strengthening resilience to climate change and biodiversity loss is also essential,” he added.

President Khachaturyan reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to this agenda, noting that as the upcoming host and chair of the COP17 Biodiversity Conference, Armenia will make every effort to promote this cause and ensure landlocked countries benefit from their biodiversity.

“I represent a country that has faced the consequences of geographical constraints and a complex geopolitical environment for over three decades. With closed borders with two neighbors, no direct access to the sea, and significant trade and transport challenges, Armenia fully understands the importance of inclusive connectivity, open borders, and reliable infrastructure to integrate into global markets.”

He highlighted Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative as a demonstration of the country’s commitment to regional peace and cooperation, aiming to promote inclusive connectivity at both the regional and global levels.

“The Crossroads of Peace project has the potential to make our economies more prosperous and resilient. By placing economic cooperation and long-awaited peace at the heart of this initiative, it seeks to build practical agreements in trade, transport, energy, and tourism, thus turning vision into reality,” President Khachaturyan said.

"Let me reaffirm once again that Armenia is fully committed to effective multilateral cooperation with all partners to implement the Awaza Programme of Action for the Landlocked Developing Countries,'' the President said.