Turkmenistan appoints new chairman of State Customs Service

Maksat Hudaygulyyew has been appointed Chairman of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, Trend reports referring to a promulgated decree of the Turkmen president.

In another document, the former chairman of the service Atadurdy Osmanow was relieved of this duties due to health reasons.

"In connection with the expansion of the country's foreign economic activity, the flow of goods, vehicles and passengers crossing the border of our state is increasing," President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted while addressing the service’s new chairman, as noted by the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary state news agency.

According to the head of state, this requires the introduction of not only new methods of customs administration, but also the active use of advanced technologies.

Turkmenistan shares land borders with Kazakhstan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, and has maritime borders with Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Iran via the Caspian Sea.

Ashgabat considers the development of large-scale North-South and East-West transport corridors, an increase in the capabilities of the Central Asia-Gulf communication network, and the development of transport links in the Caspian-Black Sea region to be priorities for its policy. These projects concern the expansion of transport and communications between the countries of Central Asia with a further access to the markets of Europe, Southeast Asia, Middle East.

In particular, sea freight transportation in the Caspian Sea is becoming increasingly important in the external economic relations of Turkmenistan. Also, the volume of cargo handled at the berths of the harbor increases. Industrial, agricultural and automotive equipment, as well as metal products, timber and mineral fertilizers are delivered to the country via these routes, while polypropylene, coke and other petroleum products, as well as chemical and building industry products are exported.