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'Geography should not determine destiny': Guterres speaks at opening of UN Conference in Turkmenistan
06 Aug. 10:54UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the world community to ensure that landlocked countries have equal access to global economic opportunities. Guterres said this while speaking at the opening of the third UN Conference, the news portal of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting of Turkmenistan reported.
In his speech, Guterres noted that despite the progress made, landlocked countries still face disproportionately high barriers to sustainable development.
"Geography should not determine destiny," Guterres emphasized.
The UN Secretary-General recalled that 32 landlocked developing countries experience difficulties in accessing world markets, high transport costs and a narrow specialization of the economy, which depends on the export of raw materials. Guterres paid special attention to the issues of sustainable logistics, digital transformation, infrastructure modernization, as well as improving access to healthcare, education and social services.
He stressed that international cooperation should be the basis for developing new strategies aimed at reducing inequality and reducing the vulnerability of these countries to external economic and climate shocks.
The Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries began its work on August 5 in the Avaza national tourist zone on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea.
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A bilateral meeting between representatives of Turkmenistan and the People's Republic of China focused on agricultural development was held at the Archabil Hotel in Ashgabat. The negotiations took place within the framework of a visit by a Chinese delegation led by Erkin Tuniyaz, Chairman of the People's Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The event brought together heads of the agro-industrial sector, scientists from research academies, and representatives of leading companies from both nations. Discussions centered on integrating digital technologies into agriculture, as well as advancing seed production and selective breeding. Special emphasis was placed on cotton growing, raw material processing, and water conservation technologies.
The Chinese delegation expressed strong interest in implementing joint investment projects and supplying modern agricultural machinery to Turkmenistan. Additionally, both parties agreed to establish regular exchange visits for agricultural experts to facilitate professional knowledge sharing.
Following the sectoral talks, the Chinese delegation met with Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan T. Atahallyev. The meeting summarized the results of the consultations and reaffirmed both nations' commitment to elevating regional agricultural and technical partnership to a higher level.
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