Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 22 May, a meeting took place in Tashkent between Akmalkhuji Mavlonov, Chairman of the Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Zhandos Duysenbiev, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The parties discussed pressing issues of customs cooperation, including measures to simplify cross-border logistics and modernize infrastructure.

Special attention was given to the prospects of permitting the transportation of oversized cargo and the movement of empty freight vehicles through four new automobile checkpoints, including "Ak Altyn — Tselinny" and "Malik — Syrdarya." This is expected to significantly reduce the burden on existing checkpoints — Yallama, Nazhimov, and Syrdarya — as well as on Kazakhstan’s adjacent border posts.

The parties discussed the implementation of a "green corridor" regime to expedite the processing of agricultural products, as well as the launch of an "electronic queue" system for heavy freight transport. This system, aimed at reducing waiting times and increasing transparency of procedures, will be introduced gradually at Uzbek customs posts, starting with the Navoi checkpoint.

Technical integration and expanded data exchange between the customs services of the two countries were also on the agenda, particularly the mutual sharing of scanned images from inspection and examination complexes, along with information about passenger vehicles crossing the border.

During the meeting, the parties reviewed a draft agreement on establishing permanent representations of customs authorities in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and presented an updated plan for bilateral cooperation. The document foresees the accelerated modernization of existing checkpoints and construction of new ones, including the upcoming reconstruction of the Syrdarya checkpoint following the completion of work at the Gishtkuprik and Daut-Ota posts.

The parties emphasized the importance of improving the methodology for compiling customs statistics of mutual trade to eliminate discrepancies in accounting data.

As a result of the negotiations, three documents were signed, including agreements on cooperation between customs laboratories and programs for experience exchange and personnel training.