Consultative meeting with national stakeholders on Advancing Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat - The United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office (UN RCO) in Turkmenistan and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) jointly organized a two-day workshop titled "Towards a National Strategy in Advancing Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Turkmenistan." The event, held on 20-21 May 2024 at the UN House in Ashgabat, brought together national stakeholders and development partners to discuss and strategize the implementation of cross-border paperless trade initiatives in Turkmenistan.

The opening day of the workshop featured esteemed speakers including Ms. Rupa Chanda, Director of Trade, Investment and Innovation Division at ESCAP, Mr. Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, and Mr. Myrat Myradov, Head of Legal Regulations and Coordination at the Foreign Economic Relations Department, Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan.

The first day's sessions included a comprehensive review of key initiatives by various ministries and agencies, aimed at enhancing trade facilitation in Turkmenistan. Development partners, Asian Development Bank, USAID, GIZ, International Trade Center, also presented their contributions in this domain, fostering a better understanding of the current trade facilitation landscape in the country.

Workshop facilitator, Mr. Tengfei Wang, Economic Affairs Officer at the Trade, Investment and Innovation Division of ESCAP, supported the streamlining of discussions around the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific (CPTA), with a focus on the technical and legal aspects highlighted in the readiness assessment.

On the second day, participants delved deeper into the benefits and readiness for the electronic exchange of selected trade-related documents, including certificates of origin, phytosanitary certificates, and the ways of prioritizing the most vital ones for piloting. Workshop was organized to inform a National strategy for advancing cross-border paperless trade and implementing the CPTA, emphasizing potential short-, medium-, and long-term objectives.

The workshop concluded with a practical group exercise, followed by group presentations, and summarizing the outcomes and proposed strategies for advancing cross-border paperless trade in Turkmenistan.

The event underscored Turkmenistan's commitment to embracing innovative solutions for trade facilitation and integration into the global digital economy.

Turkmenistan joined the CPTA in May 2022 and has actively participated in its implementation. A readiness assessment was conducted, resulting in a study report published in December 2022.