On 18 and 19 April 2023, at the invitation of the Director General of the Customs Administration of Serbia, Mr. Branko Radujko, WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya visited Belgrade, Serbia. He met with political and economic leaders and Customs management team to review the progress in Customs reform and modernization and to explore further cooperation.

Dr. Mikuriya met the Minister of Finance of Serbia, Mr. Siniša Mali, who appreciated the WCO’s vision in enhancing Customs connectivity based on global standards and digital technology as well as the investment in further development of people who apply these standards and use technology. He had another meeting with the Prime Minister of Serbia, H.E. Ms. Ana Brnabić, who pledged her political support for Customs reform, putting emphasis on human resource development and organizational aspect.

Secretary General Mikuriya visited the Horgoš – Röszke border crossing point between Serbia and Hungary to observe the expansion of infrastructure on the Serbian side in an effort to respond to the growing increase in the amount of truck and passenger movements across the border. He also had a meeting with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia where he appreciated the good dialogue and partnership between Customs and Business.

Dr. Mikuriya concluded his mission with a meeting with senior officers of the Serbian Customs Administration at their headquarters.  He took note of Serbia’s steady progress in digitalization of Customs procedures and the implementation of WCO standards, including Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) programmes. He pledged further support of the WCO for ongoing Customs modernisation process towards the improvement of economic competitiveness.