Introduction

The socioeconomic development of 12 Asian countries is constrained by lack of territorial access to the sea and their remoteness and isolation from world markets. The resulting increase in transport costs limits their potential exports and reduces their competitiveness and profitability. The countries which comprise the group of Asian landlocked developing countries are Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Related Subject(s): Economic and Social Development