Kazakh President Calls for Stronger Connectivity, Climate Action, and Digital Growth at UN Landlocked Nations Summit in Turkmenistan

Kazakh President Qasym‑Jomart Toqayev addressed the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in Turkmenistan, stressing that the 32 LLDCs, home to over half a billion people, face persistent challenges in access to financing, technology, and markets, Orda.kz reports.

Limited transport connections remain the main problem for these countries. This leads to a range of economic difficulties, including transit and trade costs, as well as vulnerability to geopolitical factors. All this is compounded by conflicts, economic sanctions, and supply chain disruptions. Global distrust is also growing… But we believe that LLDCs must be equal partners in addressing the global agenda,Toqayev said.

He urged louder voices and bolder ambitions from LLDCs, noting that the UN conference program could serve as a roadmap toward a sustainable future. Key priorities, he said, include expanding transport, energy, and digital infrastructure — especially along the North–South corridor and the Trans‑Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).

Toqayev also highlighted climate change as a pressing issue, with LLDCs facing glacier melt, desertification, and other extreme weather impacts.

To strengthen efforts to combat climate change, I invite you to the regional environmental summit, which will be held in Astana in partnership with the UN in April 2026,he announced.

The President further pointed to Kazakhstan’s push in AI, referencing the launch of the Alem AI center and the recent commissioning of a national supercomputer.

Only by strengthening international partnership can we preserve LLDCs as an integral part of the global sustainable development agenda, Toqayev concluded.

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