Turkey Calls for Faster Customs Procedures Between Georgia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye
By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Turkey is calling for simplified customs procedures, shorter waiting times at border crossings and improved infrastructure to increase trade and transit between Georgia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye, Deputy Trade Minister Sezai Uçarmak said.
Speaking to journalists at the fifth meeting of the Trilateral Committee on Customs Affairs in Azerbaijan, Uçarmak said the three countries play an important role in trade along the East-West route and should work to make transit more efficient.
"One of our main goals is to simplify transit procedures, reduce waiting times at border crossing points, and create infrastructure that facilitates trade and transit processes by introducing international standards in these countries," he said, according to Azerbaijani media.
Uçarmak said significant investments are being made in roads, railways and maritime infrastructure in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye. He said the development of Georgia's road infrastructure was particularly evident during his visits to the country.
At the same time, he said transit capacity along the Middle Corridor remains limited and argued that harmonizing procedures and developing a more unified system could increase the movement of goods between Asia and Europe.
Uçarmak said stronger transit links could also attract new investment and create opportunities for countries along the route to process goods and generate additional economic value, rather than relying only on transportation.
"A significant economic value cannot be created simply by moving goods from one point to another," he said. "If you process these goods and turn them into another product, you can generate additional revenue."
He also pointed to the importance of Azerbaijan's role as a bridge between East and West and said improving crossings across the Caspian Sea would be necessary to strengthen connections with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
Uçarmak said the investment environment is improving across the region and that Georgia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye are implementing projects aimed at attracting international investors. He stressed, however, that investment depends on projects being sufficiently large-scale and profitable.
"Customs procedures and other processes should also be approached from this perspective," he said. "If the approach is based on the principle that 'it should be large-scale, beneficial to all countries and to the countries with which you cooperate,' then new opportunities emerge."
