PM Oli to depart for Turkmenistan tonight via Dubai

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to lead the Nepali delegation to the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), scheduled to be held in Avaza, Turkmenistan, from Shrawan 20–23.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all preparations and logistical arrangements for the visit have been completed.

Prime Minister Oli will depart tonight at 11:55 PM via FlyDubai, transiting through Dubai before reaching Turkmenistan.

The visit comes at the official invitation of Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

As the current Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of LLDCs, PM Oli will deliver a keynote address at the conference.

He is also scheduled to co-chair a high-level roundtable session and participate in several other important events during the conference.

The international gathering will bring together 32 landlocked developing countries from Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America.

The summit will focus on key issues faced by LLDCs, including lack of direct access to the sea, high transit costs, limited infrastructure, and reduced competitiveness in global markets.

Given these challenges, discussions will center on enhancing connectivity, facilitating cross-border trade, addressing transit-related hurdles, and attracting investment through strategic partnerships.

The conference aims to foster sustainable development by tackling structural barriers that hinder LLDCs’ economic growth and global integration.

During the summit, PM Oli will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of various countries and senior officials from the United Nations and other international organizations.

The government of Nepal views this conference as a crucial platform to advocate for the country’s developmental needs and to build solidarity with other LLDCs facing similar obstacles in trade, transport, and regional connectivity.

This is the third such UN conference, with the previous one held in Vienna, Austria, from Nov 3 to 5, 2014.

That summit reviewed the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action and explored new strategies to address emerging global challenges.

PM Oli will be accompanied by First Lady Radhika Shakya, Chief Advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Member of Parliament Surya Bahadur Thapa Chhetri, Principal Private Secretary Rajesh Bajracharya, personal physician Dr. Divya Singh Shah, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, senior government officials, official media representatives, and security personnel.

The Prime Minister is expected to return home on the night of Friday, Shrawan 23.