The 10th meeting of the Heads of Customs Administrations of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was convened

On 16 January, the 10th Meeting of the Heads of Customs Administrations of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in Baku.

Prior to the meeting, the Heads of Customs Administrations of the OTS visited the Alley of Honour to pay tribute to the memory of Heydar Aliyev, the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people and the founder of the modern independent Azerbaijani state, and laid a wreath at his tomb. They also commemorated the memory of the prominent ophthalmologist and academician Zarifa Aliyeva and laid flowers at her grave. Subsequently, they visited the Alley of Martyrs to honor the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame Memorial.

The meeting brought together the heads of customs administrations of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as representatives of the United Nations, the International Road Transport Union (IRU), and the customs administrations of Georgia and Hungary.

On the first day of the event, experts from the customs administrations met to discuss the items on the meeting agenda.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Lieutenant-General of the Customs Service Shahin Baghirov, stated that the 10th Meeting of the Heads of Customs Administrations of the Organization of Turkic States is of great importance for strengthening cooperation in the field of customs among member states, facilitating trade and advancing regional initiatives. He noted that the meeting creates new opportunities for the harmonization of customs procedures, optimization of transit routes and deepening of economic integration, thereby contributing to the realization of the joint economic potential of the Turkic States and the acceleration of regional development.

It was also emphasized that the “Simplified Customs Corridor” project, which provides significant opportunities for strengthening coordination and deepening integration in the customs sphere, is of strategic importance for expanding trade and enhancing economic relations throughout the region.

Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev expressed satisfaction with the ongoing efforts aimed at strengthening cooperation among customs administrations, simplifying and digitalizing customs procedures, and facilitating efficient cargo transportation. He underlined the importance of the Agreement on the “Simplified Customs Corridor” for the successful implementation of the objectives set by the Organization.

The meeting also featured presentations by Sezai Uçarmak, Deputy Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye and Head of the Customs Administration; Kairat Jumagulov, Deputy Chairman of the State Revenue Committee under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Samat Isabekov, Chairman of the State Customs Service under the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic; Akmalkhuja Mavlonov, Chairman of the Customs Committee under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Ms. Zsuzsa Kecskes, Deputy Head of the International Relations Department of the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary; Dmitry Mariyasin, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); Zurab Sitchinava, Head of the Customs Department of the Revenue Service of Georgia; and Umberto de Pretto, Secretary General of the International Road Transport Union (IRU).

Discussions were then held on agenda items including the implementation of decisions adopted at the 9th Meeting, the establishment of the Simplified Customs Corridor, the Trans-Caspian Customs Transit Portal, electronic seals and modern tracking technologies, and the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Protocol of the 10th Meeting of the Heads of Customs Administrations of the Organization of Turkic States, the Technical Conditions for Information Exchange among the Customs Administrations of the OTS Member States within the framework of the Agreement on the Establishment of the Simplified Customs Corridor signed in Samarkand on 11 November 2022, and the Action Plan for the implementation of the e-TIR procedure in accordance with the TIR Convention (Geneva, 1975) within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States were signed.

State Customs Committee Press and Public Relations Department