Today, the Berkarar Hotel of the Avaza National Tourist Zone hosted a briefing dedicated to the results of the International Conference of Ministers of Transport of Landlocked Developing Countries and events timed to coincide with it. The Ashgabat Process: Financing for Better Connectivity Forum was organized by the Government of Turkmenistan under the auspices of the United Nations.

The Conference, held on August 15-16 in a hybrid format, was attended by representatives of dozens of states and authoritative international organizations. As is known, the initiative to hold this Forum was put forward by Turkmenistan and enshrined in the relevant Resolution of the UN General Assembly, adopted in 2021.

The briefing organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was attended by members of the Government, the chairman of the Mejlis Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan, heads of ministries and departments, as well as representatives of the Mejlis and the Halk Maslakhaty of Milli Gengesh, public organizations, and the media.

The undeniable importance and relevance of this forum is clearly evidenced by both the solid composition of its participants and the high interest from foreign media, which promptly and in detail covered and continue to publish in print, place on Internet portals and broadcast materials dedicated to this event. .

At the same time, the importance of new initiatives voiced by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who addressed the forum participants with a video message, was especially noted, in which Turkmenistan's readiness to intensify and expand its participation in the global transport dialogue was confirmed. Among them are proposals regarding the consideration of the issue of creating a special working group in the UN, which would purposefully defend the interests of LLDCs and carry out systemic activities with the relevant structures of the Community of Nations, as well as the development of a Resolution of the UN General Assembly "On enhancing the role of developing countries with no way out to the sea, in the development and strengthening of global transport cooperation”.

During the International Conference a number of multilateral and bilateral documents were signed.

The results of the forum were consolidated in the Final Statement, which highlights the importance of strengthening transport connectivity for the sustainable recovery of landlocked countries from the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating the implementation of the Vienna Program of Action and achieving the SDGs. In this aspect, the significant role of transit traffic in connection with international and regional markets is stated.

As noted in the document, the Conference calls on the world community to support activities to expand regional cooperation and coordination in the field of transport development to create an efficient transport system, which is a prerequisite for dynamic and sustainable economic growth and social development in landlocked countries.

Along with this, the acceleration of digitalization to improve transit and trade facilitation, as well as for a sustainable and reliable recovery after COVID-19, as well as stimulating investment activity, were identified as priority vectors for combining efforts.

On the sidelines of the Conference, bilateral meetings were also held, including between members of the Government of Turkmenistan and representatives of foreign states and international organizations, during which the possibilities of expanding cooperation were discussed, taking into account promising projects to create new transport corridors.

Within the framework of the forum, specialized exhibitions were organized, in particular, at the Turkmenbashi International Airport and the Turkmenbashi International Seaport, as well as an exposition in a multimedia format at the Avaza Congress Center, which demonstrated the achievements of the Motherland and foreign partners in the transport complex and logistics, a wide range of offered modern services, the existing potential for the intensification of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Thus, the International Conference of Ministers of Transport of Landlocked Developing Countries held in the Avaza National Tourist Zone, held with the support of the President of Turkmenistan, has become an effective contribution to strengthening and building up constructive regional and global cooperation in the field of sustainable transport in the name of world peace, prosperity and progress.