Promoting Inter-Regional Cooperation on Container Control

The delegation of the Customs Department of the Ministry of Finance and the Drug Control Agency of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) visited Azerbaijan to learn container control best practices in Azerbaijan as well as promote inter-regional cooperation between Azeri-Lao Customs. Recently joining the Container Control Programme (CCP) Customs Department and the Drug Control Agency expressed an interest in a study visit to a country where CCP is successfully operating. In this regard the UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia jointly with the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SCC) hosted a study visit.

The delegation headed by the Deputy Director General of the Customs Department of the Ministry of Finance the Lao People's Democratic Republic Mr. Somphet Sivongxay met the Chairman of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Aydin Aliyev and visited the SCC's Operations Center, the Training Academy and the Canine Center in Baku. The delegation visited the CCP Port Control Unit (PCU) in Astara and WCO Regional Office for Capacity Building of Customs officers and its Training Facility on container inspection. Mr. Aliyev mentioned that the visit will facilitate exchanging of experience and strengthening cooperation  between the customs services of two countries.

Within the frame of events related to the 25 th anniversary of the establishment of the Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the delegation attended a conference: "Economic security: Aspects of trade facilitation and security" organized by the SCC at the State University of Economics of Azerbaijan. During the visit, UNODC ROCA handed-over office equipment and various technical means for containers inspection to the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan to be used by the CCP Port Control Units in Azerbaijan.

The U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program, as well as the Government of Japan are the donors for the CCP Regional Segment for Central Asia and Azerbaijan.