The President of Uzbekistan has put forward a number of important initiatives to overcome common challenges and problems of landlocked countries

On August 5, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, held in the Avaza National Tourist Zone
in the city of Turkmenbashi.

The event, chaired by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, was also attended by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, as well as heads of several other states and governments, international and regional organizations.

In accordance with the agenda, topical issues of strengthening transport connectivity and simplification of trade procedures, economic transformation, increasing resilience to climate change and environmental challenges, and achieving progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals were considered.

At the beginning of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan highly appreciated Turkmenistan's efforts aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring global and regional stability and prosperity.

He emphasized that the issues discussed at the conference are of vital importance, since the geographical remoteness from seaports and the need to cross the territories of several countries create a number of objective challenges.

Among them are high tariffs, limited capacity of transport corridors and infrastructure, as well as dependence on the customs and transit policies of other countries.

According to the World Bank, due to high transport costs and instability of transit, the Central Asian region annually loses up to 2 percent of GDP.

Logistics costs make up to 60 percent of the cost of goods, which is several times higher than the world average.

In this regard, the development of new reliable transit corridors and logistics infrastructure is becoming an important condition for sustainable progress in Central Asia.

– The agenda that unites us today touches on a fundamental issue – the issue of justice. This is providing landlocked states with the opportunity to participate in the global economy on equal terms, – the leader of Uzbekistan noted.

At the same time, the solution to this urgent problem requires the fulfillment of three fundamental conditions.

This is the modernization of infrastructure as the basis for sustainable development, strengthening connectivity in order to prevent transit problems and the implementation of the right to development as a key element of global equality.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has taken systemic steps to form a modern transport and logistics network with the active involvement of the private sector. Significant work has been carried out on the digitalization of trade and transport processes.

The ongoing structural economic reforms, liberalization of the trade system and a radical improvement in the investment climate are yielding tangible results: competitiveness has increased, innovative development has accelerated.

“Achieving a qualitatively new level of trust and partnership in Central Asia has given a powerful impetus to dynamic transformations,” the head of our state noted.

Today, a single transport and logistics space is being formed in the region. Programs and projects are being implemented aimed at turning Central Asia into a full-fledged transit hub between East and West, North and South.

In recent years, trade volumes have increased 4.5 times and amounted to more than 11 billion dollars. Investments have doubled, the number of joint ventures has increased fivefold.

This year, the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway has begun together with partners, and cargo traffic along the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkey transport corridor has increased significantly.

In order to overcome common challenges and problems of landlocked countries, the President of Uzbekistan put forward a number of specific proposals and initiatives.

First of all, the need for coordinated actions for the accelerated development of international transport corridors and infrastructure was noted.

In this context, the importance of accelerating the implementation of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project and its connection with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway under construction was noted.

“This will open up the opportunity to form a new trade and economic space and sustainable transport infrastructure in our vast region,” the leader of Uzbekistan emphasized.

The head of state also called for the full use of the Middle Corridor's potential, primarily through a coordinated transit policy, unification of rules and the introduction of optimal tariffs for container shipping.

The President of Uzbekistan also proposed developing a Global Agreement on Transit Guarantees for Landlocked Countries under the auspices of the UN.

The document is designed to ensure conditions for fair access to ports and communications, reduce the risks of cargo transportation and inequality in global logistics.

Given the growing demand for flexible investment instruments to finance large infrastructure projects, the leader of our country advocated the creation of a Fund for Assistance to Logistics Integration of Landlocked Countries under the auspices of the UN. The need of Central Asian countries for investments in transport infrastructure is estimated at almost 40 billion dollars per year.

The head of Uzbekistan also spoke in favor of developing a Global Landlocked Vulnerability Index to objectively determine transit capacity constraints, expand international financial and technical programs, and effectively allocate resources based on real conditions.

Attention was drawn to the importance of implementing the proposal to create an Innovation Hub in Uzbekistan for the development of the agricultural sector, which will serve to introduce adaptive agricultural technologies, promote innovative water conservation projects and ensure food security, and exchange knowledge and experience.

The leader of Uzbekistan noted the importance of actively involving leading experts and think tanks in developing proposals to overcome common challenges, including holding international forums and round tables.

– The agenda of such events could include issues of ensuring deep integration into global production chains, accelerated development of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, expanding cross-border investment, and supporting start-ups, the President noted.

He also announced Uzbekistan's intention to join the activities of the International Analytical Center for Landlocked Countries.

In conclusion, the head of our state confirmed our country's readiness for a constructive and long-term partnership to form a more equitable architecture for global development.

Following the Conference, the Avaza Political Declaration was adopted.