The heads of the customs authorities of Armenia and Iran have agreed to launch a simplified green customs corridor on the Norduz-Meghri route. Iranian news agency Tasnim reported the agreement following a meeting between Eduard Hakobyan, chairman of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee, and Foroud Asgari, head of Iran’s Customs Administration.
The meeting was held in Julfa. The discussions focused on easing customs procedures and speeding up the movement of cargo trucks between the two countries. A corresponding protocol was signed after the talks.
According to Tasnim, the sides agreed to develop a Pre-Arrival system for the electronic exchange of information on cargo vehicles. The plan calls for a gradual shift from paper-based documentation to a digital format.
Other issues on the agenda included mutual recognition of Authorized Economic Operator status (AEO/MRA), electronic customs data exchange (EDI), and coordination between the customs services of the two countries.
Armenia and Iran also agreed to extend for another 10 years their agreement on the joint use of the Norduz-Meghri border gates. The two customs chiefs also toured border infrastructure facilities and reviewed how customs procedures are organized.
Tasnim had reported earlier that Iran and Armenia were finalizing the green customs corridor mechanism aimed at accelerating the cross-border movement of goods. The mechanism is designed to cut the volume of paperwork and reduce the number of customs inspections based on a risk management system, while also introducing advance electronic data exchange.
At the initial stage, the simplified regime is expected to apply in particular to agricultural products, food items and certain essential goods.
