BSEC Border Crossing Problems were under the spotlight of the BSEC-URTA Members: BSEC-URTA Working Party on Border Crossings
After the BSEC-URTA Management Council’s call to the BSEC-URTA International Secretariat to re-activate and strengthen the meetings of the BSEC-URTA Working Party on Border Crossings for finding solutions to the existing problems in the BSEC region and sharing best examples in border crossing cooperation, BSEC-URTA Border Crossings Online Working Party realized on 21st March 2023 with the support of BSEC PERMIS and IRU.
As BSEC PERMIS, Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Mr. Dimitrios RALLIS, Project Managers in BSEC PERMIS for Custom Matters and Transport, Mr. Kenan Murtuzov and Mr. Sergii Kravchenko, General Delegate of IRU in Istanbul Mr. Erman Ereke participated the online meeting and shared their valuable comments for finding solutions for the existing problems in the BSEC region. And of course, BSEC-URTA member Associations all over the BSEC region participated in the online meeting and discussed the facilitation and digitalization solutions that might be applied to the BSEC Border Crossing Points for more sustainable logistics chains in the BSEC region.
The meeting was chaired by the BSEC-URTA Secretary General Mehmet Uylukcu and in his opening speech Secretary General underlined the importance of smooth BSEC Border Crossings in the BSEC region.
Secretary General called BSEC PERMIS, BSEC-URTA Members, and BSEC Policy Makers to cooperate on promoting facilitation and digitalization tools in BSEC Border Crossing Points.
In the meeting, presentations were realized by BSEC-URTA Deputy Secretary General Mr. Alpdogan Kahraman depicting the current problems and waiting times in the BSEC Border Crossing Points, the efforts that were spent by BSEC-URTA in cooperation with BSEC PERMIS on enhancing the BSEC Border Crossing Points, and possible solutions that can be applied to the BSEC Border Crossing Points and by Mr. Erman Ereke, IRU’s General Delegate in Istanbul, underlining the IRU’s initiatives on Border Crossing Facilitation, IRU’s proposals of upgrading and building new infrastructure in BCPs, facilitating procedures, removing unnecessary procedures in the BCPs.
At the meeting, as good developments in the BSEC region on Border Crossing Points, participants congratulated Bulgaria’s decision to remove the disinfection application to the vehicles entering from Türkiye into Bulgaria and presented their hope that Turkish Authorities will soon remove its disinfection application in its borders with Bulgaria.
As the best examples in the BSEC Border Crossing Points, the “One-Stop Shop” application put into practice between North Macedonia and Serbia was examined and praised by the Working Party and Working Party discussed the ways to apply and extend the “One-Stop Shop” concept in other BSEC Border Crossing Points.
