These are the words highlighted by Mr Paul Akiwumi, Director of Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes at the UNCTAD /United Nations’ Conference on Trade and Development/. He gave a speech at the sub-regional workshop with the theme “Fostering Structural Transformation and Export Diversification in Selected Asian Landlocked Developing Countries”.

Co-organized by the International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC) and the United Nations’ Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the workshop was attended by delegates of LLDCs/ International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries/ in Asia: Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Laos and Bhutan, experts and researchers of international organizations such as the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Mineral Fund to discuss ways to no longer depend on mining commodities and diversifying the economy and share experiences.

Executive Director of the International Think Tank for LLDCs E.Odbayar

“Some landlocked countries that are economically dependent on few types of mining products have yet to find a way out of the situation. But instead, some of those countries have found interesting solutions to how the economy can be further developed using the sector, what kind of funds should be established and how the income should be correctly spent and allocated, which are being discussed at the workshop”.

The 2-day-workshop will issue policy recommendations on solving challenges that the regional countries face.