On June 11, 2026, the 82nd meeting of the Council of Heads of Customs Services of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was held in Burabay.
The Council is a key intergovernmental coordinating body that ensures the development of coordinated approaches to the development of customs administration, the improvement of customs control, and the strengthening of economic cooperation within the CIS.
The meeting was attended by heads and representatives of the customs services of the CIS member states.
During the meeting, a wide range of issues were discussed, aimed at further developing trade and economic ties, improving the efficiency of customs administration, streamlining transit operations, and implementing modern digital solutions in the work of customs authorities.
Following the meeting, decisions were made in the following areas:
- sharing best practices on the implementation of cutting-edge information technologies, process automation, and the use of inspection and screening systems and X-ray image analysis technologies;
- exchange of information in mutual trade, improving the efficiency of data exchange on the customs value of goods, creating mechanisms for the registration and identification of participants in foreign economic activity, as well as a Memorandum on the simplification of transit shipments;
- regulations governing the work of law enforcement units within customs services, the exchange of information on persons involved in offenses, as well as issues related to the functioning of the Center for Customs Expertise and Research;
- updating the CIS’s international legal framework in the customs sphere, including the revision and termination of certain agreements and protocols that have lost their practical relevance.
In addition, the meeting participants discussed the coordination of CIS member states’ positions within the World Customs Organization, as well as events marking the upcoming 35th anniversary of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Speaking at the meeting, Zhandos Duisembiev, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, noted that the format of the Council of Heads of Customs Services of the CIS remains an effective platform for developing joint solutions and strengthening practical cooperation between the customs administrations of the Commonwealth’s member states.
