Kathmandu, July 17

Commerce Minister Jayant Chand participated in trade ministers’ meeting of the landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and the least developed countries (LDCs) held separately on Saturday in Nairobi, Kenya, on the eve of the 14th Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

While speaking at the meeting, Minister Chand recalled the successful fifth Ministerial Meeting of the LLDCs held in Geneva last month. He expressed his confidence that the meeting would further enhance the solidarity and unity in advancing the common agenda of the LLDCs. He emphasised the need to overcome the structural constraints and enhance productive capacity of the LLDCs by putting additional efforts in the construction of transport, transit and trade infrastructure.

The meeting was addressed by Ambassador Rigoberto Gauto, vice minister of Economic Relations of Paraguay, Mukhisa Kituyi, secretary general of UNCTAD, and Gyan Chandra Acharya, under-secretary general and high representative, UNOHRLLS, among others.

The meeting was concluded by adopting the 22-point Ministerial Communiqué of the Landlocked Developing Countries.

Similarly, Minister Chand also participated in the LDC trade ministers’ meeting. He highlighted that the LDCs are firm supporters of rules-based, equitable, non-discriminatory and fair multilateral trading system. The ministerial meeting was chaired by Commerce Minister of Bangladesh Tofael Ahmed, the coordinator of the LDC Group. The meeting was concluded by adopting the 29-point Ministerial Declaration of the Least Developed Countries.