USG Acharya: Kazakhstan has unique position among LLDCs

14 September 2012

"Kazakhstan has a unique position as the landlocked country, but at the same time, Kazakhstan boasts huge natural resources.

We would like to see Kazakhstan deriving more benefits from the advantages of its economic situation, better infrastructure and the development of collaboration and cooperation with other countries through strengthening regional and interregional cooperation," the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States Gyan Chandra Acharya said in his interview to Kazinform correspodent.   

What is the main purpose of your organization in this regard?

Kazakhstan is a place where ten years ago, we discussed the problems of  landlocked countries and which adopted the Almaty Declaration. We have returned here to discuss how the republic can help other countries integrate into the global economy. In addition, here we will share our experience, aiming that our countries can develop together and reach the highest level of wellbeing. It is very important for our solidarity and our cooperation.

 What practical steps should Kazakhstan take to improve its economic situation?

First, it is the strengthening of the transport network. The second step is the management of borders, that is, the promotion of transit services and products, as we need a free flow of goods and services through transit states. It is the right of the landlocked countries. And we can use the value chain to have more processing industries. It is also necessary to focus not on the volume, but on the quality of the produced goods and services and increase their value. This is very important in the long run.

What is the distinguishing feature of the Almaty Declaration signed yesterday?

Over the past ten years, the landlocked countries progressed in terms of economic growth, the growth of the production of goods, and the development of trade facilitation. But now we are facing new challenges. It is a big gap between the infrastructure and what we invest into. So we want to achieve more support from the international donors to attract necessary investments as Kazakhstan in this area has reached a certain level, in contrast to other countries.

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