Distinguished participants of the conference and exhibition,

I welcome you to the capital of our country at the opening of the Information Technology/Technology and Innovation Conference and Exhibition of the World Customs Organization and wish the conference and exhibition success.

We highly appreciate the holding of such a prestigious event in the city of Baku.

Our country, which plays the role of a bridge between the Asian and European continents thanks to its favorable geographical location, is the cornerstone of the North-South and East-West transport corridors.

Azerbaijan is interested in increasing constantly its transport potential and transit capacity and makes major investments and implements large-scale infrastructure projects in this area.

Great importance has always been attached to the application of information and communication technologies in different areas of Azerbaijan`s economy, relevant national strategies have been adopted to build and develop information society.

The establishment of electronic services, which is crucial to our society and implementation of large-scale projects on electronic government, contribute to increasing productivity, transparency and efficiency in public administration.

In the face of these global challenges, considerable work has also been done in Azerbaijan`s customs service. Essential projects are implemented to develop digital customs administration, organize business processes and customs control, facilitate and increase the transparency of customs procedures, with a special emphasis on the application and use of advanced information and communication technologies in the field of customs.

Held annually by the World Customs Organization, this event showcases global technological advancements, reaffirming the necessity of international cooperation.

I welcome the holding of the WCO conference and exhibition themed "New technologies for SMART borders – New opportunities for Trade, Travel and Transport" in our country, and hope that the conference will produce fruitful results and the discussions and meetings to be held here contribute significantly to the deepening of mutual cooperation and the emergence of new initiatives in this area.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, June 11, 2019