Hungary plans to increase customs cooperation with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Zsuzsa Kecskes, Deputy Head of the International Relations Department of the Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration, expressed this goal in an interview.
Kecskes noted that the Kyrgyz Customs Service has launched a cooperation initiative on training and advanced training of specialists. The agreement signed under this initiative was implemented in Bishkek on November 6, 2024 during the summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTG). The implementation of the agreement is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2025. Referring to Hungary’s close relations with Uzbekistan, Kecskes emphasized that the customs cooperation agreement signed in 2022 laid the foundation for these relations. In 2024, several rounds of talks were held with Uzbekistan on future cooperation, and an exchange program for Uzbek colleagues was planned for 2025. Kecskes added that this cooperation is carried out in line with Hungary’s European Union obligations. Within the scope of customs cooperation with Uzbekistan, topics such as the control of international courier and postal shipments, combating drug trafficking, digitalization, the use of artificial intelligence in risk management systems and the training of customs officers were discussed, Kecskes said, adding that cooperation opportunities within the World Customs Organization were also evaluated.
Kecskes emphasized that strengthening cooperation in the field of customs and trade will offer new opportunities for economic growth, reduce barriers and facilitate trade processes. He said that such platforms provide an important opportunity for sharing experience, disseminating best practices and solving common problems.