The inaugural Informal Meeting of the Heads of Customs Administrations of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) convened in Budapest, Hungary, on April 15, 2025. The meeting brought together high-level officials from OTS member states and Hungary to strengthen customs collaboration and advance regional trade integration.

Secretary General of OTS, Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, opened the session by underlining Hungary’s strategic involvement in the OTS and the importance of Budapest as a venue ahead of the forthcoming Informal OTS Summit of Heads of State. Omuraliev emphasized customs as a key pillar of OTS cooperation, noting major initiatives such as the eTIR Action Plan, the Simplified Customs Corridor, and the Caravansarai Project. He called for deeper OTS–EU cooperation, especially through Hungary’s facilitative role.

Hungarian officials, including Commissioner Ferenc Vágujhelyi and Deputy State Secretary Katalin Bihari, presented Hungary’s progress in areas such as e-commerce, trade facilitation, and customs reforms achieved during the country’s 2024 EU Presidency.

Representatives from Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan shared national strategies in customs modernization, digital transformation, and regional economic connectivity. The meeting concluded with calls for enhanced knowledge sharing, capacity-building efforts, and future-focused customs partnerships.