Awaza, The Europe Today – August 4, 2025: Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis, delivered a keynote address at the Parliamentary Forum held on the sidelines of the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) in Awaza, Turkmenistan, on August 4. The forum gathered parliamentary leaders and representatives to discuss the role of legislative bodies in advancing the development agenda for landlocked nations.
Speaker Gafarova chaired the forum’s first session, titled “From Vienna to Awaza: Unresolved Challenges, Lessons Learned and the Way Ahead,” where she emphasized the pivotal role of parliaments in shaping and implementing effective policies and programs for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), transit states, and development partners. She underscored the importance of parliaments in fulfilling commitments under the Programmes of Action for LLDCs.
Highlighting the value of inter-parliamentary cooperation, Speaker Gafarova expressed confidence that the exchange of legislative ideas and experiences would open new avenues for collaboration and more effective policy implementation across LLDCs.
She also stressed that national development strategies, enhanced regional cooperation, international partnerships, and consistent global support must remain central to all efforts going forward. These pillars, she noted, are critical to realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ensuring that no country or community is left behind.
Sharing Azerbaijan’s national experience, Speaker Gafarova explained how the country has transformed its landlocked status into an opportunity through large-scale investments in transport infrastructure. Projects such as the Baku International Sea Trade Port in Alat and the development of key highway and railway networks have positioned Azerbaijan as a major logistical and transport hub along the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor and the North-South Corridor.
She further emphasized the strategic significance of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, describing it as a cornerstone of the Middle Corridor and a clear demonstration of Azerbaijan’s commitment to strengthening regional connectivity and cooperation.
The forum continued with addresses by other parliamentary leaders, all reaffirming the shared commitment to inclusive and sustainable development for landlocked developing countries.
