DUBAI: Azerbaijan is interested in using the Dubai model of customs regulation at Baku International Sea Trade Port located in the settlement of Alat, Aydin Aliyev, head of Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee said.
He made the remarks during the meeting with the delegation led by Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (United Arab Emirates).
The freight turnover at the largest and most modern Alat port in the Caspian Sea will be 10 million tons and 40,000 containers at the initial stage. In the future, it is planned to increase the freight turnover to 25 million tons for which a container yard will be built for one million containers.
The port will be constructed in three stages. The first stage was completed in the Alat settlement in June 2014.
“Customs management is very developed in Dubai and the presentation of the Dubai model of customs regulation aroused our interest,” said Aydin Aliyev.
“It is known that major part of the goods imported to Dubai, is delivered through the port,” he said. “A large modern port is under construction in Baku as well and when it is fully operational, it will be very useful for us to learn from the experience of Dubai,” he said.
Furtheremore, the head of the Customs Committee added that there are great prospects for developing the relations between Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates.
Aydin Aliyev said Azerbaijan and the UAE are bound by many factors, adding that first of all, it is the deep political unity and mutual support within international organizations.
“Our countries also have well-developed economic relations,” he said. “The official trade turnover between Azerbaijan and UAE is not so high, however, a large volume of goods purchased by individuals is delivered from Dubai to Azerbaijan.”
Moreover, Aliyev said that the two countries signed an agreement on mutual assistance in 2011.
“All this creates great opportunities for further developing our relations,” he added.
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and UAE stood at $36.13 million in Jan.-July 2015 and $33.23 million of this amount accounted for the import from Azerbaijan, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.
