Oriented on making people closer

As part of a working visit to Brussels related to participation in the 145th and 146th sessions of the Customs Cooperation Council of the World Customs Organization, Chairman of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan Maksat Khudaykulyev held a constructive meeting with WCO Secretary General Jan Sanders. The meeting was also attended by Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Belgium Sapar Palvanov.

During the meeting, Maksat Khudaykulyev confirmed Turkmenistan's commitment to further deepening the partnership with the organization. He emphasized the importance of the accumulated positive experience of interaction and expressed readiness to actively participate in the implementation of current and prospective WCO projects, including in such priority areas as risk management and advanced training.

During the meeting, special attention was paid to the training center created under the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan. It was noted that following the results of the vote of the members of the World Customs Organization, a decision was made to assign the status of a regional training center to this center.

The head of the department expressed gratitude to the WCO for its assistance in promoting this initiative and emphasized the importance of further cooperation in filling the center with substantive activities - conducting training courses, specialized trainings and expert programs.

During the meeting, the Ambassador of Turkmenistan, taking the opportunity, handed over to the WCO Secretary General official invitations from the leadership of Turkmenistan. In particular, an invitation was presented on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan to participate in the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC), which is scheduled to be held in August 2025 in Avaza.

In addition, an invitation was conveyed from National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to participate in the International High-Level Dialogue on Peace Issues, which will be held on December 12, 2025 in Ashgabat to mark the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's neutrality and the proclamation of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.

The Secretary General of the organization accepted both invitations with gratitude and confirmed his intention to personally participate in the UN conference in Avaza in August. He also highly appreciated Turkmenistan's contribution to the WCO activities, noting the country's active position as a full and constructive member of the organization. At the end of the meeting, he expressed gratitude to the Turkmen side for the consistent modernization of the customs system and the creation of favorable conditions for international cooperation in this area.

ORIENT

Photo: courtesy of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Belgium