Customs Administrations of Turkic States Discuss eTIR and eCMR at Emergency Meeting in Geneva

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — An extraordinary meeting of the customs administration heads of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held on 10 February 2026 at the Palace of Nations in Geneva, according to the OTS press service.

The session brought together Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, senior officials and heads of the customs authorities of OTS member states, as well as representatives from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Road Transport Union (IRU).

Opening the meeting, the Secretary General noted that holding the session alongside the UNECE Global Forum and the TIR Administrative Committee session provided an important opportunity to present a unified and coordinated position of the Turkic States on key customs and transport cooperation issues to the international community.

Discussions focused primarily on the implementation of the Action Plan for eTIR procedures, the practical application of the Agreement on the Creation of a Simplified Customs Corridor (Samarkand, 2022), and preparatory work for launching eCMR—the electronic consignment note—across the OTS region.

On the topic of eCMR development, Kubanychbek Omuraliev highlighted the work of the dedicated working group tasked with the pilot project, which focuses on developing technical and software solutions. He emphasized that these efforts will serve as the foundation for broader regional deployment of the system, noting the central role of customs administrations as the operational backbone in the practical implementation of eCMR.

To further encourage the use of digital tools, including ePermit, eTIR, and eCMR, participants discussed the possibility of granting priority passage at border checkpoints to carriers adopting digital transport and customs solutions.

The emergency meeting reaffirmed the strong commitment of OTS member states to deepen customs cooperation, advance digital transit mechanisms, and strengthen regional connectivity. The agreements reached are expected to contribute to safer, more efficient, and predictable trade flows within the OTS region, while reinforcing the Organization’s role as an active and coordinated participant in the international customs and transport framework.