Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 15 May 2024, Almaty, Kazakhstan hosted the 11th Regional Meeting of National Committees on Trade Facilitation in Central Asia, supported by  the regional project ‘Trade Facilitation in Central Asia’, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ).

The event brought together ministries responsible for trade policy, representatives of executive authorities overseeing customs, transport, phytosanitary, and veterinary controls at borders, as well as private sector representatives from five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). The participation was enriched by representatives from esteemed international organizations such as USAID, the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the International Trade Center (ITC), among others.

Uzbekistan was represented by delegates from the Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade, the Ministry of Transport, the Agency for Quarantine and Plant Protection, the Department of State Veterinary Control, the Association of International Road Carriers, and the Association of Customs Brokers. 

The meeting delved into discussions on innovative solutions for simplifying trade procedures, including digital initiatives such as E-Phyto (an innovative system of electronic phytosanitary certificates). In particular, a plan has been developed according to which Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan will implement the data exchange on electronic phytosanitary certificates by the end of 2024. Also, other digital solutions aimed at modernizing and accelerating trade processes were discussed. 

Additionally, the discourse was centered on the Joint Action Plan of partners on facilitation of trade procedures in Central Asia, and the presentation of a roadmap for the digitalization of multimodal data and document exchange along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, optimization of logistics, and enhancing its efficiency.

The fruitful deliberations culminated in the development of the Joint Action Plan by the National Trade Facilitation Committees of Central Asia aimed at enhancing coordination and cooperation among partners for further simplification of trade procedures in the Central Asian region.