Official: Baku, Tashkent establish effective cooperation in customs sector

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have established effective cooperation in the customs sector, with significant potential for further expansion, according to Major General Akmalkhuja Mavlonov, Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Customs Committee.

Mavlonov said relations between the two countries have reached the level of a strategic partnership in recent years and continue to strengthen across political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation, transport and logistics, and broader regional integration, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

He said new institutional mechanisms are emerging based on mutual trust and close ties between the leadership of both states, with many joint initiatives now being implemented in practice.

“In particular, the development of transport and communication links along the East–West and Central Asia–Caucasus routes is of strategic importance for Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan,” Mavlonov wrote, adding that this is increasing foreign trade volumes, diversifying cargo routes, and strengthening regional transit potential.

He stressed that cooperation between the two countries’ customs services plays a key role in ensuring efficient and transparent trade flows, particularly through information exchange, risk management systems, digital technologies, and staff training.

Mavlonov also highlighted Azerbaijan’s experience in digitalisation and intelligent customs control systems, noting that Uzbekistan’s own digital transformation is creating a strong basis for mutual exchange of expertise.

According to him, the introduction of digital technologies has significantly reduced document processing times in customs operations.

He said Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover doubled between 2020 and 2025, while customs revenues reached 76.2 trillion Uzbek soums (about $6.3 billion) in 2025.

He added that digital systems helped reduce the number of employees involved in declaration processing by 40%, while improving control efficiency and increasing additional revenue collection several times over.

Mavlonov also noted a 20% decline in the number of inspections, alongside a more than tenfold increase in their effectiveness due to the shift toward a risk-based model.

He said 176 digital solutions have already been introduced into Uzbekistan’s customs system, including automated declaration processing and the “Export in Three Steps” system, which he described as a key milestone in developing intelligent customs operations and speeding up procedures while reducing human involvement.

He further stated that digitalisation has significantly reduced customs clearance times at airports through remote processing tools and expanded data exchange with airlines.

By Sabina Mammadli