EU Presidency Statement - Fifth Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries

Mr. President,

I have the honor to take the floor on behalf of the European Union. The Candidate Countries Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Croatia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration.

The outcome of the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries held in Almaty in 2003 shows our mutual commitment to address the needs and problems of landlocked countries.

For the EU this is part and parcel of the broader development agenda, specifically our commitment to fully implement the Millenium Declaration and achieve the Millenium Development Goals. We are convinced that poverty eradication and the improvement of quality of life in developing countries will be dependent on our success in addressing the problems of the most vulnerable in the world.

We recognize that lack of territorial access to the sea and remoteness and isolation from the world markets are among the main causes of the relative poverty in landlocked developing countries. The EU believes that efficient transit systems, transit policy reforms, competition between different modes of transport, financial and technical assistance for the improvement of infrastructure as well as the maintenance of existing facilities are essential in improving the situation of landlocked developing countries. The EU therefore encourages landlocked and transit countries to consider giving priority to the establishment thereof in their development planning and budget allocations, including in their PRSPs.

One of the main objectives of the Almaty Plan of Action is to increase the participation of LLDCs in world trade. Liberalization of world trade can play a crucial role in achieving the MDGs and the EU is convinced that progress will be made, including on trade facilitation, services and agricultural and non agricultural products, in the Doha round.

The most important part of the work undertaken in Almaty has now started with the implementation of the Plan of Action. South-south cooperation is crucial. Regional and sub-regional organizations are playing an important role in promoting economic activity, specifically in strenghtening regional cooperation initiatives and promoting agreements between transit and landlocked developing countries. In this regard, the EU strongly supports NEPAD as a framework for regional transport development.

In this context, the donor community has an important responsibility as well. The EU already provides, through its Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), financial and technical assistance for sustainable policies and strategies, and for transport infrastructure and services, such as roads, railways, waterways, and multimodal regional network systems.

The EU thanks the Office of the High Representative for the least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and SIDS for the guidance that it has given through the preparation of the Roadmap towards the implementation of the Almaty Conference, which was endorsed by the Inter-agency meeting of the United Nations in February. Coherent and coordinated assistance to LLDCs is essential to the full implementation of the Almaty Action Programme.

The EU is supportive of the Ministerial communiqué of landlocked developing countries that was adopted on the occasion of UNCTAD XI. The EU recognizes that UNCTADs involvement in the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action is of great value in the area of analysis and technical cooperation.

The EU furthermore welcomes the consideration of the very first report of the SG on progress made in the implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action and is looking forward to its discussion in this year's General Assembly.

Only in partnership and in a spirit of true regional cooperation can the problem of landlocked countries be overcome.


* Croatia continues to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process

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