Ruslan Davydov, Minister for Customs Cooperation of the Eurasian Economic Commission, spoke at the scientific and practical conference ‘Customs: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,’ where he discussed current issues of customs regulation within the Eurasian Economic Union.

The discussion focused on digitalisation, interaction with business, international integration and legislative improvements. According to Davydov, effective customs cooperation is a key element of successful integration. Simplifying and speeding up trade procedures reduces costs, promotes mutual trade and creates a comfortable business environment.

The minister emphasised that today the EAEU customs authorities are actively introducing electronic declarations and automated control systems, which significantly improves efficiency and reduces cargo processing times at the border. This creates new opportunities for business, attracts investment and promotes economic growth.

‘Under the EAEU Treaty, we have unified customs regulations, a single territory and a common trade regime with third countries. We must strive for unification, because the international competitiveness of the Union depends on it,’ Ruslan Davydov noted. He recalled that the EAEU covers one-seventh of the land and serves as an important bridge between China and Europe, and that these geographical advantages should be fully exploited.

On the eve of Victory Day, the minister also honoured the memory of customs officers who contributed to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. He noted that important supply routes during the war passed through the Far East and Iran, destinations that are now reflected in the strategic international transport corridors ‘West-East’ and ‘North-South.’