The 11th meeting of the heads of customs administrations of the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Turkestan.

The 11th meeting of the heads of the customs administrations of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan was held in Turkestan from September 6 to 8, 2025. The meeting was also attended by observers from Hungary, Georgia and Turkmenistan.

In his speech, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhandos Duisembiev, stressed that holding the meeting in Turkestan has not only practical, but also deep symbolic significance. Turkestan, as the spiritual center of the Turkic world, embodies the unity and mutual understanding of fraternal peoples, and the current meeting confirms the desire to strengthen cooperation.

The Chairman noted that in recent years, trade and economic cooperation between the two countries has shown steady growth, which is the result of the introduction of digital solutions, simplification of procedures and confidence-building. He also drew attention to the strategic task outlined by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the informal summit of the TG in Hungary, the transformation of the Middle Corridor into a reliable and modern bridge between East and West.

In this regard, the Chairman of the SRC emphasized the need for practical steps.:

• implementation of Technical Conditions for information exchange, development of the Institute of Authorized Economic Operators (AEO);
• Implementation of a Single Window system and modern tools for digitalization of customs administration.

These measures will accelerate trade turnover, increase security, and ensure the sustainability of supply chains.

The meeting participants discussed the best national practices, where Kazakhstan presented the possibilities of the National Integrated Platform "Keden", and Turkey presented the project "Caravanserai" within the framework of the Silk Road initiative.

Following the meeting, the following documents were signed:
• Minutes of the 11th meeting;
• Joint Statement on the application of Annex 11 to the TIR Convention (1975);
• signed memoranda of cooperation in the field of risk management and development of Customs laboratories.

Concluding the meeting, the participants reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen cooperation and strengthen fraternal ties, emphasizing that joint efforts will contribute to the formation of a modern, open and innovative customs system in the Turkic world.