Opening of the WCO Regional Training Centre in the Ukraine
Dnipropetrovsk, 31 August - 2 September 2010
Report
At the invitation of Chairman Igor Kaletnik of the State Customs Service of Ukraine, WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, visited Ukraine from 31 August to 2 September 2010 for the opening of the WCO Regional Training Center for Europe in Dnipropetrovsk. He also took the opportunity to meet Vice Prime Minister Sergio Tigipko in Kiev.
The Ukrainian Academy of Customs was designated as the home of the Regional Training Centre at the European Regional Meeting of Heads of Customs in Ohrid in March and the Memorandum of Understanding with the WCO was signed during the June Council Sessions.
The opening ceremony was held on 1 September; the beginning of the academic year. Highlighting the importance of Customs and the demand for highly educated Customs officers to implement the vision contained in the WCO’s Customs in the 21st Century vision, the Secretary General expressed his expectation that the Academy would play a leading role in fostering a knowledge-based, service-oriented culture and professionalism among Customs officers in the Europe region. On the same day the Senate of the Academy awarded the Secretary General an Honorary Doctor of the Academy degree.
Mr. Mikuriya took the opportunity to discuss the strategic direction of Ukraine Customs with Chairman Kaletnik. He also visited Kiev to meet the Vice Premier Minister who expressed his strong political support for Customs reform, adding that the country’s draft new Customs Code to modernize Customs procedures was based on the Revised Kyoto Convention. He also stressed his support for enhanced regional cooperation.