Tehran, Doha discuss bolstering customs cooperation
The executive director of Qatar’s General Authority of Customs met with the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) and other senior customs officials in Tehran on Sunday to discuss enhancing joint cooperation and exchanging expertise in trade facilitation and development.
During the meeting, the customs officials from both countries reviewed strategies to expand customs collaboration, IRNA reported.
According to the report, Foroud Asgari, the IRICA head, highlighted the friendly relations between the two neighboring countries, describing the visit of the Chairman of the General Authority of Customs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Jamal at the head of a delegation as “highly significant.”
At the outset of the meeting, the Iranian deputy minister of economy outlined the operational procedures of Iran’s customs facilities for the Qatari delegation.
“All procedural formalities in Iran’s customs are conducted through electronic systems,” he stated.
Al-Jamal commended the digitalization of Iran’s customs operations and expressed his country’s interest in strengthening relations with Iran.
He described the “upstream policies at political and diplomatic levels” as a valuable opportunity to advance customs cooperation.
During the talks, the Qatari delegation raised questions about risk management practices in Iran’s customs, prompting the IRICA chief to elaborate on the country’s risk management framework.
Asgari also requested that Qatari authorities expedite the clearance of Iranian shipments, particularly perishable goods, at the port of Al Ruwais, while reaffirming Iran Customs’ readiness to collaborate on resolving potential challenges.
The meeting aimed to develop joint cooperation and share expertise in trade facilitation, combating smuggling and customs violations, securely exchanging electronic customs data, and organizing joint training programs.