Abkhazia and Russia agree to mutually recognise customs inspection results
Abkhazia and Russia have agreed to mutually recognise the results of customs inspections. The agreement is expected to speed up the clearance of goods at the Russian border on the Psou River.
Negotiations on the agreement took more than four years. Russia’s Federal Customs Service and Abkhazia’s Customs Committee signed the relevant protocol on 25 September.
The protocol provides for the electronic exchange of information on customs inspection results. This means that if one side has already inspected goods or a vehicle, the other side can use the results of that inspection in certain cases instead of conducting it again.
Abkhazia’s Customs Committee said the new mechanism should reduce border crossing times and ease pressure on checkpoints.
“This is particularly important during the holiday and citrus seasons, when passenger and vehicle traffic increases. We expect the new electronic cooperation mechanisms to shorten the time needed to complete the necessary procedures and improve the capacity of border checkpoints,” said Customs Committee head Otar Khetsia.
Previously, customs officials from both Abkhazia and Russia inspected each shipment separately. Disputes often arose when one side questioned the documents provided by the cargo owner and required the entire shipment to be unloaded. This caused queues at the border, much to the frustration of cargo owners.
Abkhaz officials say that the mutual recognition of customs inspection results is standard international practice and does not infringe on the sovereignty of either side.
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Abkhazia-Russia customs deal
