From September 6 to September 8, 2025, the 11th meeting of the heads of the customs administrations of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan was held in the city of Turkestan. Observers from Hungary, Georgia and Turkmenistan also took part in the meeting.
In his speech, Zhandos Duisembiev, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, emphasized that holding a meeting in Turkestan has not only practical, but also deep symbolic significance. Turkestan, as the spiritual center of the T
The Chairman noted that in recent years, trade and economic interaction between the OTS countries has shown steady growth, which is the result of the introduction of digital solutions, simplification of procedures and confidence-building. He separately drew attention to the strategic task outlined by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the informal OTS summit in Hungary - the transformation of the Middle Corridor into a reliable and modern bridge between East and West.
In this regard, the Chairman of the SRC emphasized the need for practical steps:
* implementation of the Technical Conditions for Information Exchange, Development of the Institute of Authorized Economic Operators (AEO);
* implementation of the "Single Window" system and modern tools for digitalization of customs administration.
These measures will speed up trade, improve security and ensure the sustainability of supply chains.
The meeting participants discussed the best national practices, where Kazakhstan presented the capabilities of the Keden National Integrated Platform, and Turkey presented the Caravanserai project as part of the Silk Road initiative.
Following the meeting, the following were signed:
*Minutes of the 11th meeting;
*Joint Application of Annex 11 to the TIR Convention (1975);
* signed memorandums of cooperation in risk management and development of customs laboratories.
Concluding the meeting, the participants reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening interaction and strengthening fraternal ties, stressing that joint efforts will contribute to the formation of a modern, open and innovative customs system of the Turkic world.