BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 29. Turkmenistan has
introduced stricter technical requirements for temporary customs
warehouses as it continues upgrading infrastructure supporting
international transit.
The changes were introduced by the State Customs Service of
Turkmenistan under regulations registered by the Ministry of
Justice, according to a press release issued by the Turkmen
government.
"Open-type warehouses must now be equipped with permanently
operating X-ray television inspection systems," the press release
said.
The updated customs requirements come as Turkmenistan
intensifies efforts to strengthen its position along the Middle
Corridor through both high-level diplomacy and domestic
infrastructure upgrades. In June, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov
paid a state visit to Azerbaijan, where he and President Ilham
Aliyev identified transport and logistics among the central pillars
of bilateral cooperation. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment
to expanding freight transportation along the Trans-Caspian
International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) and agreed to
deepen coordination between the transport authorities of the two
countries.
The transit agenda was further advanced during Berdimuhamedov's
state visit to Georgia in July. Talks with President Mikheil
Kavelashvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze focused on
increasing cargo flows along the Middle Corridor, strengthening
cooperation in transport, logistics and port infrastructure, and
accelerating the implementation of joint transit projects. Ashgabat
also confirmed its interest in establishing a Turkmen cargo
terminal on Georgia's Black Sea coast, while the two countries
signed transport cooperation documents and highlighted the
strategic importance of the Lapis Lazuli and Caspian Sea-Black Sea
corridors.
Against this backdrop, the latest customs reforms appear to
complement Turkmenistan's external transit diplomacy with domestic
modernization measures. By requiring advanced X-ray screening
systems, fully digital cargo accounting integrated with customs
software, and enhanced remote monitoring capabilities at temporary
storage warehouses, Ashgabat is seeking to improve border
processing efficiency and prepare its logistics infrastructure for
higher international cargo volumes expected along regional
transport corridors.
