BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, August 5. Kyrgyzstan is actively working to improve and modernize its international highways as part of its broader push to enhance regional connectivity, said Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, Adylbek Kasymaliev, at the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), Trend reports via the Kyrgyz government.
Speaking at the event in the Awaza National Tourist Zone, the official noted that a group of landlocked developing countries was established in 2001 with UN support to address shared challenges. Since then, the Almaty and Vienna Programmes of Action have led to notable progress in building legal frameworks with transit neighbors, improving trade procedures, introducing digital tools, and expanding international cooperation in transport and logistics.
However, he acknowledged that the full goals of those initiatives have not been achieved.
"Two decades on, it is clear that landlocked developing countries still remain on the periphery of the global economy. We have gathered here in Awaza not only to take stock of our joint efforts but also to chart a common path toward a more resilient, connected, and inclusive future," he said.
In this context, he called the Awaza Programme of Action for 2024–2034 an opportunity to correct past shortcomings, learn from the past 20 years, and develop a sustainable roadmap that will allow landlocked countries to overcome geographic barriers and become active participants in global growth.
Kasymaliev also urged international partners to support landlocked countries not only with financing but also by sharing knowledge, providing technical assistance, and offering investment guarantees.
Highlighting national progress, the Kyrgyz prime minister said that Kyrgyzstan has made efforts to upgrade international road infrastructure and has adopted a fifth-freedom air policy to expand aviation links.
He pointed to the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which began in December last year, saying it will provide the shortest land route from China to the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia. He also referenced the CASA-1000 project, aimed at exporting clean hydropower from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to South Asia.