24th meeting of the Steering Committee of the GUAM Trade and Transport Facilitation Project

On June 8-9, 2016, in Vadul lui Voda, the Republic of Moldova, the 24th meeting of the Steering Committee for the Implementation of the GUAM Trade and Transport Facilitation Project took place.

During the meeting, the delegations presented information on the progress of the implementation of the Project in their states noting the importance of further simplifying procedures and ensuring security when moving goods and vehicles across the state borders of the GUAM member states. The relevance of the exchange of experience in the creation and implementation of risk management systems to facilitate trade and combat customs violations was stressed.

The participants of the meeting thanked the Georgian Party for the proposed draft Agreement between the customs administrations of the GUAM member states on facilitating the transit of goods and vehicles across the territories of the GUAM member states and noted the importance of commencing work on the harmonization of this document for the development of the GUAM transport corridor and the implementation of the New Silk Road.

In addition, information was heard on the results of the meeting of IT specialists (Kyiv, May 11-12, 2016) at which the Technical Conditions for the organization of the exchange of preliminary information to the Protocol between the customs administrations of the GUAM member states on the organization of the exchange of preliminary information on goods and vehicles transported through the state borders of the GUAM member states of July 8, 2015.

Also at the meeting, it was agreed to start implementing the internal procedures necessary for signing the Protocol between the customs administrations of the GUAM member states on mutual recognition of certain results of customs procedures regarding goods and vehicles transported across the state borders of GUAM member states.

The participants of the meeting expressed their gratitude to the Moldovan Party for the hospitality and good organization of the meeting.

The next meeting of the Steering Committee will be held in Ukraine in the second half of 2016.