UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended the role of the President of Turkmenistan in hosting the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries.

“I would like to express my appreciation for your leadership in hosting the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Avaza from 5 to 8 August 2025”, the UN Secretary-General said in a letter to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, published in the central newspapers of Turkmenistan on August 28.

“I commend your role in bringing together participants from all over the world, including heads of state and government, civil society representatives, youth and the media, around a common agenda”, Guterres said.

He stressed that “the event played an important role in aligning national actions, regional cooperation and global policy frameworks to enable landlocked developing countries to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, while strengthening their resilience to future shocks”.

“The adoption of the Awaza Political Declaration and the Awaza Action Agenda represents an ambitious plan of action for the next decade, closely aligned with the Pact for the Future and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, the UN Secretary-General said in a letter.

Guterres noted that “these commitments will accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular focus on trade facilitation, structural transformation, transport connectivity, technology, climate resilience and mobilizing international support”.

As previously reported, the Third UN International Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, held on August 5-8 in the Avaza National Tourist Zone on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea, was attended by heads of state and government, high-ranking officials from more than 100 countries, about 50 international organizations, and representatives of more than 20 leading companies. Over 160 media representatives from almost 40 countries gathered in Avaza to provide broad coverage of the forum.