International Forum “Customs-Business: International Aspects of Cooperation”

Moscow, 19-20 October 2011

Report

On 19 and 20 October 2011, the Deputy Secretary General of the WCO, Mr. Sergio Mujica, took part in the International Forum “Customs-Business: International Aspects of Cooperation” that was co-organized by the WCO and the Russian Federal Customs Service (RFCS) in Moscow, Russia.

The high-level Forum comprised two parts: an exhibition and a conference. The exhibition attracted more than 100 exhibitors from all over Russia and abroad. Delegations from Belarus, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Poland, Turkey, USA and other countries attended the event. The European Commission and the WCO took the opportunity to exhibit their latest products and innovations. In particular, the WCO presented IPM, its database on counterfeit products that supports efforts to combat IPR infringements.

After the official opening and welcome speeches, Mr. Mujica and the Head of the RFCS, Mr. Belianinov, made a tour of the exhibition and met with a number of business and Customs representatives from different countries. Later, together with the Head of Belarus Customs, they participated in a press conference to discuss Customs modernization processes, the future of the Customs Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, and partnerships with the WCO.

Forum participants were also addressed by a number of distinguished speakers, including Mr. Aleksandr Kogan, the Deputy Head of the Budget and Tax Committee of the Russian State Duma, Mr. Alexey Likhachev, Deputy Minister for Economic Development in Russia, and Mr. Hayati Yazıcı, Turkey’s Minister for Customs and Trade.

Within the framework of the conference the WCO organized a session on technologies and innovation, where representatives of Crown Agents, L-3 Security & Detection Systems, Smiths Detection and Dutch Customs shared their views on the role of technology and innovation in modern Customs procedures.

The WCO Deputy Secretary General also had a bilateral meeting with the Deputy Director General of the RFCS. They discussed their priorities and areas of cooperation between the WCO and the RFCS, including Russia’s 2012 chairmanship of APEC.

Click here for Russian media coverage.