Chairman of the State Custom Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan Aydin Aliyev, Head of the Revenue Service of Georgia Giorgi Tabuashvili, EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Malena Mard, UNDP Resident Representative in Azerbaijan Ghulam M. Isaczai and UNDP Georgia Resident Representative Niels Scott came together in Tovuz, a district of Azerbaijan bordering with Georgia. Participants took part in the Steering Committee Meeting of the project assisting in the development of the border crossing point between the two countries.

This meeting gave an opportunity to review the achievements of the project in both countries as well as discuss future plans. In addition, the interested parties also familiarized with the design and model plan of the sanitary and phyto-sanitary laboratory at the Georgian side of the Check Point, and Customs Terminal Complex construction area at the Azerbaijani side.

The meeting was followed by a ceremony of laying the first stone of the customs terminal complex, which will play a role of a logistics hub at the Azerbaijani-Georgian borders, providing favourable logistics and infrastructure opportunities for customs clearance and operations on goods exported and imported.

Mr. Aydin Aliyev thanked both the European Unìon and the United Nations Development Programme residing in both countries for funding and implementation of the project and expressed his willingness to continue it.

UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Ghulam Isaczai in his turn mentioned UNDP’s readiness and commitment for continuing its support to the Government of Azerbaijan and Georgia in its efforts to implement this ambitious reform program. UNDP Resident Representative also welcomed this project as the gradual evolution of the successful partnership between UNDP, EU Delegation and Governments of Azerbaijan and Georgia.

"The EU allocated 2,128,000 EUR for the project. The project supports the Governments of Azerbaijan and Georgia in securing their borders and facilitating the legal passing of persons and goods at the Red Bridge Border Crossing Point - the main border crossing between the two countries. The project is a part of the EU's ambition to facilitate trade in the region and support economic diversification of Azerbaijan," Ambassador Malena Mard, Head of the EU Delegation was quoted.

In the frame of the project, it is planned to construct a trade facilitation unit at the Logistics Centre, which will secure traffic flow on the Azerbaijani side of the Red Bridge and will ensure efficient clearance of goods under constant control of the authorities.

The project on “Support to the Development of Red Bridge Border Crossing Point between Azerbaijan and Georgia” is funded by the European Unìon and is implemented by UNDP in each country. In Azerbaijan, the project supports institutional development and capacity building of the Azerbaijan State Customs Committee with an aim to facilitate trade and ensure secure traffic flow between Azerbaijan and Georgia.