BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 8. Turkmenistan's State
Customs Service and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime discussed
priorities for cooperation over the next five years.
This was announced by the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan
following a meeting with international expert Jim Newkirk, who is
conducting an Evaluation Field Mission under the auspices of
UNODC.
"Particular attention was paid to prospects for further
cooperation with UNODC over the next five years and identifying new
areas of interaction aimed at strengthening the institutional
capacity of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan," the customs
service said.
According to the service, the sides reviewed the current state
of cooperation and highlighted progress achieved through joint
activities.
Particular attention was paid to the work of Port Control Units,
joint training sessions, capacity-building programs, high-level
meetings, study visits and cross-border exercises, the report
says.
The sides also discussed initiatives aimed at improving the
foreign language skills of customs personnel, the service
outlined.
According to the press release, the meeting formed part of an
evaluation mission assessing the implementation of ongoing
cooperation programs between Turkmenistan and UNODC.
For reference, Turkmenistan has been cooperating with UNODC for
a number of years through programs focused on strengthening border
management, customs controls and law enforcement capacity. A key
element of this cooperation is the establishment of Port Control
Units under the UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme, a joint
initiative of UNODC and the World Customs Organization designed to
help customs authorities identify and intercept illicit shipments
while facilitating legitimate trade.
