OREANDA-NEWS. April 09, 2010. Vnukovo Customs Office held a presentation of the customs clearance of cargo flight from Ataturk Airport (Istanbul) within Russian-Turkish Simplified Customs Passage project.

The presentation was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Sechin, Head of the Federal Customs Service Andrei Belyaninov, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in the Russian Federation Halil Akinci, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vnukovo International Airport Vitaly Vantsev, representatives of Russian and Turkish business communities.

Expedite air customs passage has been created for the mutual trade on the basis of the advance certified authentic information exchange between Russian and Turkish customs services. Submitting advance certified information of goods provides conditions for quick customs clearance of Turkish goods to Russia and minimizes the possibility of “grey imports” and smuggling to our country. Facilitation of customs procedures by means of “information transparency” fully accords with the interests of lawful participants of the foreign trade activity.

Technology of customs clearance and control over goods imported to the Russian Federation from the Republic of Turkey by air with the usage of advance information, developed by the Russian FCS allows (if law-enforcement and controlling aspects are fairly observed) to quickly process Turkish goods, imported by the Turkish companies, participating in the Simplified Customs Passage project. Within Simplified Customs Passage project the Turkish companies submit to the customs authority of their country authentic and certified information of transported goods, their nomenclature and invoice value.

Head of the Russian FCS Andrei Belyaninov pointed out that one of the purposes of the project is to create favourable conditions for Turkish goods export to Russia, separating lawful participants of the foreign trade activity from the problem ones. This has become possible due to the high level of confidence that has settled between Russian and Turkish customs services and of the commitment of business.

On September 18, 2008 the Federal Customs Service and Customs Department of the Republic of Turkey signed a Protocol on the simplification of customs procedures which was the following step in the development of Russian-Turkish cooperation in customs affairs, its international treaty framework being the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on The Cooperation and Mutual Aid in Customs Affairs, signed in Ankara on September 16, 1997. The project preparation began a year ago.

Vnukovo Airport (Moscow) and Atatьrk Airport (Istanbul) were chosen as pilot zones within the Simplified Customs Passage project. According to the agreement, from November 6, 2009 Vnukovo Customs Terminal of Vnukovo Customs processed 17 customs freight declarations (GTD) for goods that arrived from Turkey. Nomenclature – mens- and womenswear, printed goods, cressets for energy-saving lamps, retail equipment etc.