28th Meeting of the GUAM Trade and Transport Facilitation Project Steering Committee at the level of the Departments’ Heads

June 19-20, 2018, the 28th Meeting of the GUAM Trade and Transport Facilitation Project Steering Committee at the level of the Departments’ Heads was held in Odesa, Ukraine.

At the meeting, Participants provided information on the implementation of the Trade and Transport Facilitation Project in the GUAM Member States, noting the importance of continuing work to further simplify customs procedures and improving security during the moving goods and vehicles across the GUAM countries’ state borders.

During the Meeting, the Sides informed about the completion of the internal procedures necessary for signing the Protocol between the Customs Administrations of the GUAM Member States on cooperation in combating customs offences related to moving goods by air across the GUAM Member States’ state borders and recommended signing document during Meetings of the Prime Ministers of the GUAM Member States.

It was also heard the information from the GUAM Secretariat and the Azerbaijan’s Side on the results of the Round Table ‘GUAM Digital Trade Hub’ and decided to prepare the project ‘GUAM Digital Trade Hub’ for testing and conducting, in connection with this, the meeting of experts in the second half of 2018.

The Sides discussed modern challenges related to the transit of goods and vehicles across the territories of the GUAM Member States, noting the role and contribution of customs in the development of the GUAM Transport Corridor. In this regard, it was noted the importance of continuing work on the 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.

During the meeting, the Head of the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (ЕUВАМ) delivered a speech on improving the customs control and security procedures at the Ukrainian-Moldovan border; after the presentation, the possibility of using the Mission’s experience in the implementation of the GUAM Trade and Transport Facilitation Project was discussed.

The next meeting of the GUAM Trade and Transport Facilitation Project Steering Committee will take place in the second half of 2018.