TEHRAN – Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref departed for Turkmenistan on Monday to attend the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), aimed at enhancing global support for nations without access to open seas.

The high-level event, held under the auspices of the United Nations, brings together representatives from 32 landlocked developing countries to address the unique challenges they face in achieving sustainable economic growth due to limited access to global trade routes.

Speaking to reporters before leaving Tehran, Aref highlighted the strategic importance of Iran’s geographical location and its potential to play a key role in regional transit and connectivity.

“Iran holds a unique position as a central transit hub connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa,” he said. “One of the top priorities of the 14th administration is to strengthen and expand cooperation with neighboring and regional countries, particularly in the transportation and logistics sectors.”

Aref noted that eight of the 32 landlocked developing countries are located in Iran’s surrounding region, and emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering deeper economic ties with them.

“We’ve already developed strong relations with many of these countries. This conference presents an opportunity to review existing partnerships and explore practical frameworks for expanded collaboration—especially in trade and transit,” he said.

Aref also linked the visit to broader regional diplomacy, referring to President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent trip to Pakistan as a successful step toward regional integration.

“As expected, President Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan advanced our regional outreach and served the broader interests of the Islamic world. We hope this visit will yield similar benefits, particularly in improving transit connectivity for landlocked nations,” he added.

Reiterating Iran’s long-standing offer to serve as a conduit for landlocked countries, Aref stated:

“We have consistently expressed our readiness to help these nations gain access to international waters through rational mechanisms and friendly cooperation. This remains a cornerstone of our regional policy.”

While in Turkmenistan, the First Vice President is also scheduled to meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, senior Turkmen authorities, and other high-ranking officials attending the summit. Depending on the schedule, Aref is expected to hold additional bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines to discuss regional and global issues.

The conference aims to evaluate progress on the Vienna Programme of Action, adopted in 2014, and to outline the next phase of international support for LLDCs in areas such as infrastructure development, trade facilitation, and regional integration.