On December 15, 2022, the Second Virtual Workshop on customs issues along TRACECA routes was organized

• Special session for TRACECA member-states that are aspiring to access to the Convention on Common Transit to support their efforts,
• CAREC Advanced Transit System (CATS) and the and Information Common Exchange Pilot Project;
• Potential use of electronic queue systems at border crossings (existing experience/initiatives and TRACECA Electronic Queue System Guide).

The main objective of the Workshop is to support the facilitation of customs procedures and formalities at border crossings and seaports along TRACECA routes.

Mr. Michael Rathje, Head of the Transit/Status Sector, EU TAXUD, Ms. Zulfia Karimova, Principal Regional Cooperation Specialist, East Asia Department of the ADB, Ms. Narynkul Tagainazar, WCO, ROCB Europe Region delivered a welcoming speech and presentation to the Workshop participants. The high representatives highly appreciated the opportunity to join discussions with countries and development partners. EU TAXUD, ADB, WCO are ready to provide support in facilitating trade and transit in the region.

During the first session, Mr. Michael Rathje, Head of the Transit/Status Sector, EU TAXUD made a presentation on "Lessons learned from the preparations for accession and implementation of the Convention of Common Transit", during which he informed the workshop participants about the process of accession to the Convention in practice, particularly, the national common transit stage, monitoring stage, as well as organizational and legal steps.

The participants heard presentations from speakers from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania, Türkiye, Ukraine on international customs transit systems along TRACECA routes with a focus on solving specific tasks of the workshop, including progress, gaps and needs of interested TRACECA countries in accessing to the Convention on Common Transit, as well as possible measures to support their efforts.   

At the second session of the workshop, Ms. Zulfia Karimova, Principal Regional Cooperation Specialist, East Asia Department of the ADB informed the participants about the work done and progress on the CAREC Advanced Transit System (CATS) projects and the Information Common Exchange. Representatives of the customs authorities of Azerbaijan and Georgia expressed their support for the implementation of the projects.

During the third session dedicated to the use of electronic queue systems at border crossings, the vision of the Permanent Secretariat experts, experience of TRACECA countries, as well as the presentation from GoSwift on the existing experience of using the system were presented to the participants.

The customs representatives involved in the discussion are called upon to identify problems and determine the interest of the MLA countries in implementing electronic queue systems at automobile border crossings, role of the PS IGC TRACECA in supporting interested countries, and to identify other customs-related issues related to harmonization and facilitation of procedures along TRACECA routes.

Ms. Narynkul Tagainazar, WCO, ROCB Europe Region proposed to hold a meeting with the organizers of this event to discuss plans for 2023, expressed readiness to assist and support the organization of high-level meetings, meetings of the Working Group with the participation of customs officers on transit along the Trans-Caspian Corridor, exchange of information between customs authorities.

For reference:

The First Workshop on Customs Issues along TRACECA Routes was organized in June 2022 in accordance with activity 1.3 of the Action Plan for 2022-2026 on the Development of TRACECA. Within the framework of the First Workshop, the following issues were considered: harmonization and simplification of customs transit procedures with a focus on multimodal transport and mechanisms for the systematic information exchange between customs authorities.