ArmInfo. Representatives of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia took part in the seminar “The Customs Sector in the Context of Interregional Connectivity: Connecting the European Union with Central Asia, the Black Sea Region and the South Caucasus,” which was held in Poland’s capital, Warsaw. According to the SRC press service, the event was attended by M ikael Khachatryan, Customs Attaché of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union and the World Customs Organization, and Tigran Mnatsakanyan, Deputy Head of the Customs Service and Control Division at Land Border Crossing Points of the State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia.
The seminar was organized by the European Commission, the German government and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), in cooperation with the “Eastern Partnership” program and Poland’s National Revenue Administration. It was attended by representatives of customs authorities from 15 countries, including Armenia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and five Central Asian countries, as well as representatives of other international organizations (EU TAXUD, ITC, UNECE, GIZ). The event was dedicated to the exchange of experience and the development of practical solutions aimed at expanding customs cooperation and ensuring the safe and uninterrupted movement of goods along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC).
During the event, issues related to international border control standards, interagency cooperation, the exchange of customs information, risk assessment and the use of ICT solutions were discussed. The “single window” principle of border control, joint inspections and the harmonization of customs and transit procedures, including the eTIR system, were also discussed. The capabilities of modern technical border control equipment were presented; in particular, participants familiarized themselves with scanning equipment and the operation of mobile units in practice. A study visit to the Warsaw customs office was organized.
At the same time, the main obstacles along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor were identified and possible ways to address them were discussed. As a result, the participants have already begun developing a Common Action Plan, and an agreement was also reached on further steps and preparations for upcoming meetings.
