Sitting of council of CIS customs services heads held in Armenia

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15.12.2007, 00:11

The 46th sitting of the Council of customs services heads of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) was held Friday. The sides laid groundwork for the Council’s activities in 2008.

YEREVAN, December 14. /ARKA/. The 46th sitting of the Council of customs services heads of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) was held Friday. The sides laid groundwork for the Council’s activities in 2008, the Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Armenia Armen Avetisian told a press conference. The Council formed its secretariat and elected its chairman who is a representative of Russia.

Avetisian reported that the sides also discussed issues on review of international legal framework of customs field, exchange of preliminary information on goods and vehicles driving through customs borders of CIS countries. The State Customs Committee of Armenia attaches importance to international cooperation in customs sphere, Avetisian said adding that the Committee was founded in 2001 and is a member of the World Customs Organization (WCO). In 2003 Armenia became a member of the WCO Commission on customs policy issues: from other CIS countries only Russia is represented in the Commission, Avetisian said.

‘’Apart from that, Armenia’s State Customs Committee has been member of World Trade Organizations since February 2003 and attaches importance to the methods of determining customs values and country of origin of goods, as well as bringing them in compliance with the EU Customs Code,’’ the Chairman of the Committee said. He also stressed the importance to the regional cooperation of the customs authorities. He pointed out that Armenia takes active part in the sittings of the Council due to the location of the country at the junction of Asia and Europe, as well as due to the necessity to exercise efficient control on turnover between them.

The Council of heads of customs services of CIS countries was founded on December 23 1993 under the provisions of the agreement on economic alliance. It unites the heads of customs services of Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Representatives of the customs offices of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan participated in the sitting in Yerevan.
Sittings of the Council are held twice a year, the Council Secretariat has its meetings four times a year, preceding the Council’s sittings. –0--