Azerbaijan, Baku, April 6 / Trend T. Jafarov /
Azerbaijan and Iran signed an agreement on cooperation in customs, IRNA reported with reference to Iran's Customs chief Ardeshir Mohammadi.
"The agreement was signed during a meeting in Iran with the Deputy Chairman of State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Asker Abdullayev," Mohammadi said.
He said that at present, the level of cooperation between countries in the customs area is satisfactory. The annual volume of export-import operations between the countries is $500 million. It is necessary to increase cooperation in customs.
Every year 11 million people pass through the Azerbaijani-Iranian border. Most of them pass through checkpoint Julfa.
"We are now ready to use 'single window" with Azerbaijan, as we would like Azerbaijani customs to work more with Iranian traders and passengers. At present, the system "single window" is used by 15 customs offices in Iran , including the Azerbaijani-Iranian customs checkpoint Bilasuvar. In the nearest future this system will be introduced at customs points - Julfa and Astara.
Some Iran's customs checkpoints today also introduced an automated system for Customs Data (ASICUDA). We can deliver it to Azerbaijani customs officials.
"Iran is ready to reduce the time of Azerbaijani goods registration through Iranian customs. It will exceed the expectations of the Azerbaijani side. We expect that similar steps will be taken by the customs of Azerbaijan", he said.
He said that the two countries have mutual trust. If any products are delivered to Iran after passing inspection at the Azerbaijani customs, we are ready to accept it without re-checking.
Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee stressed the historical and religious proximity between the two countries. He called the expansion of cooperation in customs between Azerbaijan and Iran reasonable.
"In particular, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation in the legal and customs sphere, because Azerbaijan can be useful as a transit route to Europe. Azerbaijan and Iran are members of the Kyoto agreement. Both countries can take more effective actions for the development of customs cooperation," Abdullayev said.
The signed agreement, consisting of 13 points, will simplify the relationship between the countries in the customs sphere.
