Türkiye OKs customs deal to boost Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has given the green light to an agreement aimed at streamlining customs procedures within the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project.

Published in Türkiye's official gazette on April 7, the agreement seeks to enhance collaboration between Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia, with the primary goal of expediting customs controls for goods and vehicles traversing the rail network.

Under its provisions, all transit operations conducted by rail within or between the territories of the three countries will benefit from streamlined customs procedures.

The agreement's provision states that, barring exceptions determined by the risk analysis systems of the contracting states, goods in international transit will generally be exempt from physical examination. Additionally, the parties involved will have the ability to share X-ray images for enhanced security measures.

A pivotal aspect of the agreement is the establishment of a "tripartite cooperation commission" tasked with ensuring the effective implementation of the accord, thereby ensuring the smooth operation of the railway project.

The railway, with a total length of 829 kilometers, has emerged as a key conduit for trade between Europe and China, slashing delivery times for Asian products to Europe to 15 days. It serves as a component of the Middle Corridor, a comprehensive transportation initiative linking Türkiye, the Caucasus, Central Asia and China.

The inaugural export train journeyed from the Azerbaijani capital Baku in 2020.