The 14th meeting of the National Committees for Trade Facilitation of CA countries was held in Dushanbe

The 14th regional meeting of the National Committees for Trade Facilitation of Central Asian countries was held in Dushanbe. The event was part of the regional project ‘Trade Facilitation in Central Asia’ implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The meeting brought together representatives of ministries and agencies in the fields of economy, transport, customs and food security, as well as the private sector and international organisations from five countries in the region. Participants discussed ways to deepen cooperation and promote initiatives for digitalisation and simplification of trade procedures that contribute to the development of regional trade and the reduction of border barriers.

The Kyrgyz delegation presented the results of ongoing reforms in the field of trade facilitation, noting the introduction of digital services and electronic interaction systems between businesses and government agencies. The Kyrgyz side also shared its successful experience of involving the business community in the process of improving trade and customs administration.

Particular attention was paid to projects aimed at digitising and automating customs and phytosanitary procedures, which contributes to increasing the transparency, efficiency and competitiveness of the region's foreign economic activity.

The meeting included thematic sessions of working groups, which discussed priority areas of cooperation:

• introduction of paperless trade and digital solutions;
• improvement of transport and transit systems;
• harmonisation of certification and control procedures;
• introduction of electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhyto).

The discussions were aimed at developing practical steps to harmonise national approaches and bring regional procedures into line with international standards.