Rabab Fatima, High Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), delivered a speech at the Parliamentary Forum. In her speech, she expressed gratitude to Turkmenistan for organizing the event, IIC reports.

The speeches emphasised that the problems of landlocked countries go beyond geographical factors. They are linked to limited transport accessibility, a narrow export base, high trade costs and shrinking fiscal space.

- For example, the least developed countries account for 70% of the world's population, while the European part accounts for only 1%. At the same time, their trade costs are on average 30% higher than those of coastal states, Rabab Fatima noted.

She stressed that parliaments can play a key role in implementing the new Programme of Action - from transport infrastructure to education, from trade to energy.