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.
