Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

U.S. Department of State has donated mobile detection equipment to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee, the committee has reported on its website.

The equipment was donated as part of the U.S. Department of State's 2022 Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program, the report added.

The event was attended by U.S. ambassador Earle Litzenberger and Azerbaijani delegations led by State Customs Committee Chairman Safar Mehdiyev.

Mehdiyev thanked the U.S. for its assistance in building employee capacity, acquiring new technologies in the field of customs, mastering knowledge and skills, and learning modern practices and approaches.

He expressed gratitude for the assistance and underlined that Azerbaijani customs places a high value on international cooperation.

Mehdiyev emphasized Azerbaijan-U.S. relations, noting that effective and business relations between the two countries' customs authorities have greatly contributed to this cooperation.

According to the chairman, the country's reforms have created favorable conditions for agile, efficient, and transparent customs work.

He stated that significant progress has been made in the fiscal field, the fight against crime, the simplification of customs operations, and the acceleration of border crossing processes as a result of the implemented innovations.

Mehdiyev stressed that the interaction between the two countries' customs authorities has made an important contribution to the overall work, particularly in the fight against drug trafficking, and assured that bilateral cooperation will continue to expand.

Litzenberger, for his part, noted that 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan and the United States establishing diplomatic relations, emphasizing mutual cooperation with satisfaction.

The ambassador recalled his meeting two years ago and stressed that the reforms in the customs system have been successfully implemented since then, praising the results of the reforms carried out in the Azerbaijani customs service in recent years.

He congratulated Azerbaijan on its achievements in the customs sphere, noting that the Azerbaijani customs service can be proud of its work.

Speaking of the long-term U.S. cooperation with Azerbaijan in preventing illegal transportation, Litzenberger expressed hope that today's donation will also contribute to the development of relations and the security of both countries. Prospects for collaborative efforts were also discussed at the meeting.

Participants reviewed donated equipment at the end of the event.

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