The Head of Turkmenistan's Customs Service Met with the WCO Secretary-General in Brussels
A delegation from Turkmenistan, led by Maksat Khudaykulyev, Chairman of the State Customs Service, is participating in the 147th and 148th sessions of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council, which are being held in Brussels in person. The event brought together heads of customs administrations from around the world to identify key areas for the development of the global trade and border system.
Ashgabat's participation in a forum of this caliber underscores the country's commitment to deep integration into the international logistics network and the modernization of its border infrastructure in line with international standards.
A key event of the visit was a bilateral meeting between Maksat Khudaykulyev and WCO Secretary-General Jan Saunders, also attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Kingdom of Belgium. The parties noted with satisfaction that bilateral cooperation has reached a qualitatively new level over the past year. The Turkmen side expressed gratitude to the WCO leadership for its assistance in organizing a landmark international conference in Ashgabat dedicated to the activities of customs training centers.
During the talks, special attention was paid to the digitalization of procedures and professional training of specialists at the WCO Regional Training Center in Turkmenistan. The parties highly praised the practical results of joint educational programs for 2025–2026, through which Turkmen customs officers have completed long-term training in risk management, time-release measurement, data analytics, and process digitalization.
To further strengthen the agency's human resources, Turkmenistan's willingness to delegate representatives to participate in the prestigious WCO Career Development Programme for 2026–2027, including short-term internships, was confirmed.
In turn, Ian Saunders praised the progress of reforms in Turkmenistan's customs system, warmly recalling his visit to the country and his visit to the Turkmenbashi International Seaport, which has become a major transportation hub in the region. The WCO leader confirmed the organization's commitment to providing comprehensive support to the Turkmen educational hub to scale up Ashgabat's successful experience at the regional level.
