On February 24, 2025, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, and a delegation led by the Under-Secretary-General of the UN, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, Rabab Fatima, who arrived in Ashgabat for a first-time visit.

During the meeting, the parties noted the constructive and long-standing experience of strategic cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Nations and its specialized agencies across a wide range of areas.

The parties discussed in detail the joint events planned for the current year, which was declared by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of Peace and Trust at the initiative of Turkmenistan. In particular, they discussed preparations for the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC 3), scheduled to be held in Turkmenistan in the second half of the current year.

The parties reaffirmed the importance of this global event and exchanged detailed views on the Conference agenda, protocol and organizational issues, including the preparation of draft Outcome and other documents.

The interlocutors expressed confidence that this Conference will create an effective platform for concrete actions in the field of sustainable development, environmental and food security, through improved transport and digital connectivity, unlocking the trade and economic potential of countries around the world, which is in line with the national and foreign policy priorities of Turkmenistan.

It is important to note that 32 landlocked developing countries with a population of over 500 million people share common challenges related to their geographical location, which affects their economic ties with the rest of the world.