Photo: Embassy of Turkmenistan in Washington/X
Eurasia
12/08/2025 23:13
Today, there are 32 countries in the world that are officially recognized as developing landlocked countries (LLDCs), including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which have no direct access to international sea routes, making their economies vulnerable to logistical constraints and increased transport costs, as well as dependent on other countries for trade. The main task of the conference, held under the auspices of the United Nations, is to promote the integration of these countries into the global economy and to help them overcome the structural and logistical constraints arising from their geographical location, which landlocked developing countries face. According to UN data, the trade costs of these countries are on average 74% higher and the time taken for goods to cross borders can be twice as long as for countries with access to international waters.
The first UN conference on the problems of landlocked countries was held in Almaty on August 28-29, 2003, with the main theme being "Meeting the special needs of landlocked developing countries in the new global partnership with transit countries." The most important outcome of the Kazakh meeting was the so-called Almaty Program of Action, which for the first time defined the directions of international support for these states. However, despite the initial momentum, it was not until November 2014 that the second conference was held in Vienna to assess the effectiveness of the program adopted in Almaty and to develop new strategies in the areas of international trade, transport, and logistics. At the same time, the Austrian forum reaffirmed the global commitment to meeting the special needs of landlocked countries.
The Avaza Action Program: a new phase
The central element of the conference held in Turkmenistan was the so-called Avaza Action Programme 2024–2034, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2024. The document contains five priority areas:
In addition, the meeting reinforced five priority initiatives for the program, which are:
Why is the conference important for Central Asian countries?
For Central Asian countries, as the world's largest community of landlocked countries, participation in the LLDC is of strategic importance. Over the past two decades, major regional projects have emerged and become central elements of the East-West and North-South land trade routes in Central Asia, such as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), which connects Asia and Europe, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In addition, several Central Asian countries, such as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, have invested heavily in port infrastructure development and concluded transit agreements with neighboring countries in the region and with the EU.
At the third UN conference held in Turkmenistan, one of the main focuses of the event was the role of landlocked developing countries and, in particular, the increasingly close partnership between Central Asian countries and China and the resulting expansion of East-West trade relations. During the conference, each of the Central Asian countries presented its own strategy for overcoming geographical isolation and creating alternative trade corridors. Among the routes presented by the Central Asian countries, one of the most important was the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, and the possibilities for its operation and expansion. The route connects China and Europe by passing through Central Asia (Kazakhstan), the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Turkey. A key project related to the development of the route was the inauguration of a new multimodal terminal in the port of Poti by Kazakhstan and Georgia in June 2025, which significantly increased the capacity of the route.
Another important Central Asian initiative in this area is the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran corridor, which provides access for the economies of Central Asian countries to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. In 2025, the three countries participating in the project signed a roadmap for the gradual modernization of infrastructure and increased freight traffic along the route.
However, at the conference, Kazakhstan, one of the five Central Asian countries, specifically emphasized that through international partnerships and infrastructure development, the region has achieved sustainable access to three oceans: the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific.
Avaza as a new starting point for global and regional dialogue?
The Avaza conference is not only a platform for landlocked countries, but also a mirror of the global downturn in global trade. Landlocked developing countries are currently facing challenges that they cannot overcome on their own. The program plans and guidelines adopted at the Turkmenistan conference show how ready the international community is to ensure a more inclusive, sustainable, and interconnected economy through words and deeds. The question is not whether geographical location matters, but whether global solidarity can transcend borders.
For Central Asian countries, participation in the conference is also an opportunity to strengthen their position in the global economy and international trade as a bridge between Europe, the , and Asia, as an export and transit hub, and as an active player in shaping the new architecture of global cooperation.
