State Customs Committee and United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism are cooperating actively

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan represented by the State Customs Committee and the UN represented by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism on June 10.

Addressing the virtual signing ceremony, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov spoke about the relations between the organization and Azerbaijan, expressed gratitude to the State Customs Committee for productive cooperation that resulted in the signing of the Memorandum. 

The UN official underlined that Azerbaijan was one of the long-term and respectful beneficiaries of the Countering Terrorist Travel Programme, talked about the cooperation as part of the program in terms of forming national legislative framework, launching Passenger Information Center, providing technical support, studying best practices, holding trainings for capacity building.

Chairman of the State Customs Committee, customs service Colonel-General Safar Mehdiyev said productive cooperation had been established between the UN and Azerbaijan, as well as between the relevant agencies of the organization and the State Customs Committee in different spheres, including ensuring security, fighting terrorism and transnational crimes.

The chairman of the Committee underlined that the successful domestic and foreign policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev, the worthy follower of the political course of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, was not only boosting the country’s economy, but was also making significant contributions to ensuring the international security.

It was said that the historic victory won in the 44-day Patriotic war under the leadership of the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev had restored the historic justice and was of great importance in terms of strengthening peace and integration, future economic development of the states of the region.

Safar Mehdiyev said the fact that Azerbaijan was located at the crossroads of the East-West and North-South international transport corridors had led to the growth of passenger and goods flow to the country. This, in its turn, has increased the need for risk management-based technologies for increasing the effectiveness of security measures and better implementing relevant state control mechanisms.

The chairman of the Committee underlined that the innovations meeting the present-day challenges were of special importance in terms of practicing functional management, the State Customs Committee paid great attention to the development of international cooperation in terms of applying advanced technologies and studying practices.

It was noted that the State Customs Committee representing the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism representing the UN were actively cooperating as part of the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Programme, and the State Customs Committee attached special importance to this sphere.

The chairman of the committee also said that as part of the implementation of the relevant task given by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the view of increasing effectiveness of cooperation in this regard, a working group on Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) had been established under the leadership of the State Customs Committee and that working group was operating successfully.

Safar Mehdiyev spoke about the cooperation in terms establishing Passenger Information Center, capacity building, studying the best practices, expressed gratitude to the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism for the work done and support provided.

Then, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan represented by the State Customs Committee and the UN represented by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism was signed in an online format.

The document was signed by chairman of the State Customs Committee Safar Mehdiyev and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov.

The Memorandum will contribute to further enhancing future cooperation directions in terms of Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR), developing mechanisms of joint activity.

Press and Public Affairs Department of the State Customs Committee