TRACECA and «Silk Road” Customs Cooperation Initiative – Partnership in support of trade, transport and transit

This event took place within the framework of cooperation between TRACECA and the “Silk Road” CCI at the initiative of the Forum of Customs Administrations of the Silk Road countries and supported by the decision of the Intergovernmental Commission TRACECA.

 The Working Group meeting was attended by Mr. E. Biriucov, Secretary General of TRACECA, Mr. A. Mustafayev, National Secretary of TRACECA in Azerbaijan and Mr. Rza Gasanaliyev, Vice Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, as well as by customs services’ experts from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

In his welcoming speech the Secretary General noted that this first joint event is the necessary important step in the development of mutual cooperation between TRACECA and the “Silk Road’ CCI. It is necessary to apply joint efforts in order to make a common opinion and to determine appropriate measures for efficient activities aimed at the implementation of the Ninth IGC TRACECA Meeting decision regarding the performance by the Permanent Secretariat TRACECA of the administrative functions of the “Silk Road” CCI and to submit the proposals to the next “Silk Road” CCI Forum for making a decision.

Mr. Hasanaliyev, Vice Chairman of the State Customs Committee, expressed his support for the joint meeting of the Working Group on the Development of the “Caravanserai” Project. Mr. Hasanaliyev emphasized that cooperation under the aegis of this Initiative is the first step of joint work which will serve the purpose of the enhancement of efficiency of international supply chain, trade facilitation and transit traffic.

The participants of the Working Group addressed a request to the Permanent Secretariat TRACECA regarding coordination of activities within the framework of the Project. In the near future the Working Group members will send to the Permanent Secretariat their suggestions concerning regional studies within the framework of visits to border crossing points selected for the “Caravanserai” Project.