In early July, employees of the State Customs Service and representatives of the Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists of Turkmenistan completed courses on the Authorized Economic Operators program. The seminar was organized with the assistance of the World Customs Organization and the Customs Cooperation Fund of the People's Republic of China to support the implementation of the AEO program in Turkmenistan. 

The course trainers were Gaetano Sassone, technical and operational adviser to the WCO AEO of the Italian Agency for Customs and Monopolies, and Donsuk Kim, technical adviser representing the Korean Customs Service. They familiarized the participants with the framework of standards for ensuring security and facilitating global trade, and the customs authorities' guidance on implementing the AEO program. The experts presented their recommendations for more effective implementation of the AEO program in the country.

The mission also provided the participants with the opportunity to enhance their capacity to implement the AEO programme in Turkmenistan. 

The Authorized Economic Operator programme is a partnership programme implemented by many Customs administrations as a mechanism to simultaneously secure and facilitate global trade by ensuring the commitment of both Customs and traders who choose to work in partnership to enhance supply chain security.