All customs functions under the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project remain entirely within the scope of Armenia’s state sovereignty, Eduard Hakobyan, chairman of the State Revenue Committee (SRC), said when addressing the potential involvement of an operator in customs procedures.
He noted that involving an international operator to perform front-office functions could also help address issues of trust, Sputnik Armenia reports.
“The need for this is not particularly compelling, but it does exist to some extent,” he said.
The SRC chairman added that the precise scope of the operator’s front-office responsibilities is still under discussion and will be established in the relevant agreement and documentation.
“If risks are identified during the customs clearance of cargo and an inspection becomes necessary, the relevant decision will be made exclusively by a customs officer.
“It is the customs officer who makes that decision, and the front office cannot make such a decision. Armenia retains all its customs functions. This means that we will analyze the risks and conduct the inspections ourselves,” he stated.
Asked whether a similar trust-building mechanism was envisaged for Armenian citizens traveling through Azerbaijani territory, Hakobyan replied that he was not familiar with the Azerbaijani side’s model for organizing customs operations.
The SRC chairman added that the digitalization of Armenia’s customs service is continuing independently of the launch of TRIPP.
A new digital platform is being developed for integration with the e-Gate system, with the aim of minimizing direct contact between citizens and customs officers.
On October 28, Armenia’s National Assembly ratified the framework agreement on strategic cooperation between Armenia and the U.S. concerning the TRIPP project.
