Mr. Chairman, Your Excellencies:

First, allow me to thank you for the invitation extended to Cuba to participate in this Summit Meeting of Landlocked Developing Nations.

We are very pleased that this meeting is taking place in Havana within the framework of this XIV Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement which our country is honoured to be organising. We believe that this provides a very opportune setting because of the common objectives and interests that are espoused by NAM and this group of nations.

Cuba fully recognises the special interests of landlocked developing countries which are characterised by their small and vulnerable economies, bound up with their lack of territorial access to the sea. This situation is aggravated by their distances from world markets, as well as the prohibitive costs and transport risks which are placing serious limitations on export incomes and have negative repercussions upon their general growth and socio-economic development.

It is no accident that of the 31 nations in this position, 16 are also classified by the UN as being among the least developed.

The facts paint a very clear picture. Landlocked countries occupy 12.5%of land surface and they represent 4% of world population. Their GDP total is equal to only 0.3% of the world total and they receive only 0.34% of direct foreign investment in the world. They pay an average of 14% in freight costs, while developed countries and those with access to the sea pay only 5%.

Cuba is appreciative of the efforts being made by the Developing Landlocked Countries to apply the Almaty Programme of Action with the aim of creating associations that will allow them to overcome the particular problems of these countries. Several UN Summits and International Conferences have recognised the special needs and problems of landlocked developing countries. The Millennium Declaration adopted by the UN General Assembly at the level of Heads of State and Government requested bilateral and multilateral donors to increase their financial and technical aid to this group of countries in order to satisfy their special development needs and to help them to overcome the obstacles imposed on them by their geography, by improving their transport system. They also decided to create a favourable environment for development and the elimination of poverty on national, subregional, regional and global levels.

Unfortunately, there have been very few advances. The Landlocked Developing Countries have not received the support that they so urgently need. On the contrary, they are increasingly more marginalised in terms of multilateral trade and face reductions in their world trade market quotas, since the costs of their trade transactions are excessively high due to the lack of access to the sea. Added to this is the negative impact of agricultural subsidies applied by the rich nations, which, among other factors, are also undermining the competitiveness of landlocked developing countries.

Cuba fully supports the just demands made by landlocked developing countries regarding the need for the continued promotion of South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation, as well as cooperation between subregional and regional organisations with the aim of securing implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action.

We are confident that this Summit in Havana will conclude by bringing important results and will contribute to an ever more effective coordination among the landlocked developing countries in order to bring their just hopes to fruition.

In the name of the people and government of Cuba who whole-heartedly offer you warm hospitality and steadfast support, I wish you every success in your work.

Thank you very much.

(Cubanoal) 14-09-2006