The Head of Iran’s Customs and the leader of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building met during the World Customs Organization Council Session to discuss collaboration on smart customs and digital transformation initiatives. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the council session, focused on enhancing cooperation in training and knowledge exchange.

Foroud Asgari, Deputy Minister of Economy and Head of Iran’s Customs, emphasized Iran’s commitment to expanding collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building, particularly in areas such as smart customs technologies, digital transformation, risk management, coordinated border management, and conducting the Time Release Study (TRS). Asgari highlighted ongoing efforts within Iran’s Customs to implement modernization programs and advance electronic transformation.

Asgari expressed openness to increasing participation of Iranian customs experts in various workshops, training courses, and regional professional development programs. He underscored the value of virtual training and online capacity-building initiatives as a means to broaden access for customs staff across the country.

In response, Jun Tajima, Head of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building, welcomed the opportunity to strengthen cooperation with Iran’s Customs. Tajima reiterated his office’s readiness to support the delivery of relevant training courses and to further engage in joint capacity-building efforts.

Both officials acknowledged the important role of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building in assisting customs administrations throughout the region, particularly in enhancing skills and fostering regional cooperation. The dialogue reflects ongoing efforts to support the modernization and efficiency of customs operations through international partnerships and knowledge sharing.