Prospects of further expansion of partnership between Tajikistan and the World Customs Organization (WCO) were discussed here yesterday at a meeting of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon with WCO Secretary-General Kunio Mikuriya.

According to the Tajik president’s official website, Tajik leader expressed hope that the results of the meeting would become a sustainable step towards strengthening and expansion of bilateral relations.  

Rahmon, in particular, noted that the Government of Tajikistan has begun reforming all trade and economic spheres from the first days of independence.  

The two sides, reportedly discussed issues related to intensification of activities of customs bodies, providing automated information system with modern technologies, reconstructing customs infrastructure, training of personnel for Tajikistan’s customs bodies, etc.  

In the course of the talks, Rahmon and Mikuriya also exchanged views on improving Tajikistan’s trade and economic legislation and public policy of supporting export.  

While in Dushanbe, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya is also expected to hold talks with Khurshed Karimzoda, Head of the Customs Service of Tajikistan, Fayziddin Qahhorzoda, Minister of Finance of Tajikistan, an Muhammadyusuf Imomzoda, Rector of Tajik National University.  

The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.  The WCO is noted for its work in areas covering the development of international conventions, instruments, and tools on topics such as commodity classification, valuation, rules of origin, collection of customs revenue, supply chain security, international trade facilitation, customs enforcement activities, combating counterfeiting in support of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), drugs enforcement, illegal weapons trading, integrity promotion, and delivering sustainable capacity building to assist with customs reforms and modernization.  The WCO maintains the international Harmonized System (HS) goods nomenclature, and administers the technical aspects of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on Customs Valuation and Rules of Origin.