TEHRAN – Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Reza Alev, departed for Turkmenistan on Monday.
The high-level event, held under the auspices of the United Nations, brings together representatives of 32 inland and developing countries to address the unique challenges faced 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 the potential to play an important role in regional transport and connectivity.
“Iran holds a unique position as a central transport hub connecting Asia, Europe and Africa,” he said. “One of the 14th administration’s top priorities is to strengthen and expand cooperation with neighboring and regional countries, particularly in the transport and logistics sector.”
The AREF pointed out that eight of the 32 inland developing countries are located in the surrounding areas of Iran, highlighting the government’s commitment to promoting deeper economic ties with them.
“We have already developed strong relationships with many of these countries. The conference provides an opportunity to review existing partnerships and explore practical frameworks for expanded collaboration, particularly in trade and transportation,” he said.
The AREF also linked a visit to broader regional diplomacy, referring to President Masuud Pezeshkian’s recent trip to Pakistan as a successful step towards regional integration.
“As expected, President Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan has advanced regional outreach and served as a broader benefit for the Islamic world. We hope that this visit will bring similar benefits, particularly in improving transport connectivity in landlocked countries,” he added.
Repeating Iran’s long-standing offer to serve as a conduit for landlocked countries, AREF said.
“We have consistently expressed our preparation to enable these countries to access international waters through rational mechanisms and friendly cooperation. This remains the basis of our regional policy.”
While in Turkmenistan, the first Vice President will also meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Turkmen authorities, and other senior officials attending the summit. Depending on the schedule, AREF is expected to hold additional bilateral and multilateral meetings on the bystanders to discuss regional and global issues.
The purpose of this conference is to assess the progress of the Vienna Action Programme adopted in 2014 and to outline the next stage of LLDC’s international support in areas such as infrastructure development, trade promotion, and regional integration.