An international seminar of the World Customs Organization (WCO) dedicated to digitalization, artificial intelligence and modern approaches to risk management was held in Ashgabat. The meeting was organized in a hybrid format at the WCO Regional Training Centre in Ashgabat.

The seminar was attended by officials and specialists of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, representatives of WCO training centres in the European region, specialists from Azerbaijan, as well as experts from the WCO Secretariat.

One of the main topics of the event was the “Smart Customs” initiative. WCO Secretariat experts Dimitris Politopoulos and Dr. Tong Hua delivered presentations on international standards for automating border procedures.

The main speaker of the seminar, Yusif Usubov, a representative of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, shared practical experience in using machine-learning algorithms and neural networks to automatically identify risks and analyse customs declarations.

Turkmen customs specialists also presented the country’s national experience in developing digital systems and introducing artificial intelligence solutions into customs operations. Participants visited the Monitoring and Analysis Centre of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, where they familiarized themselves with the operation of digital monitoring systems that monitor cargo flows in real time.

Following the meeting, further steps were identified to enhance the professional qualifications of specialists and implement joint technological projects within the framework of cooperation with the WCO European region.

The international seminar served as an important platform for discussing the role of artificial intelligence, comprehensive use of data and “Smart Customs” solutions in modernizing customs control.