TIR SEMINAR

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Regional TIR Seminar in Moscow on 2 and 3 October 2003
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the TIR Executive Board and the TIR secretariat, in close co-operation with the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the State Customs Committee of Russia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Office in Moscow, organize a Regional TIR training Seminar which will be held at the Hotel Metropol, Moscow, on 2 and 3 October 2003.
The Seminar is aimed at capacity building of Customs authorities for the proper implementation of the TIR procedure and will address issues such as Customs fraud prevention, risk management, controlled access to the TIR regime, termination and discharge of a TIR operation, inquiry procedures. A major part of the Seminar will be dedicated to an open discussion and exchange of views on the present situation with regard to Customs transit in the region and on the application of the TIR procedure in the Customs Union of the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus.
The Seminar will include presentations by high-level officials from Customs administrations of Contracting Parties to the TIR Convention, including the European Commission, by Chairmen of several inter-governmental bodies of the TIR Convention as well as by senior experts from the International Road Transport Union (IRU) and the UNECE secretariat, all sharing with the participants their experience in the application of the TIR Convention.
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Participation
The TIR Seminar is designed for senior Governmental officials responsible for Customs and trade policies of the Russian Federation, neighbour countries and other countries with transit links to the Russian Federation. The seminar is also open to representatives of the private sector who are involved in Customs transit procedures (national associations or road carriers, Chambers of Commerce, freight forwarders and/or Customs brokers).
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Programme
Attached please find a first provisional programme of the Seminar. More detailed information on the programme of the Seminar and on the participating experts will become available in mid September 2003. Each participant will receive a free copy of the latest edition of the TIR Handbook. At the end of the Seminar, certificates of attendance will be distributed to all participants. English and Russian will be the working languages. Full simultaneous interpretation into/from these languages will be provided.
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Seminar Registration
Participation in the Seminar is free of charge for registered participants. Participants are however expected to cover their own travel costs, accommodation and other personal expenses. Each participant at the Seminar must register with the TIR secretariat prior to the Seminar using a copy of the attached Seminar Registration . Participants are advised to return this form to the UNECE TIR secretariat as soon as possible but not later than on 25 September 2003.
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Hotel Reservation
Seminar participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements. The Hotel Metropol*****, the venue of the Seminar, is located in the very centre of Moscow within a three minute walk from the Red Square and the Kremlin. Block bookings have been made for Seminar participants at the Hotel Metropol at special rates. In order to profit from these rates, participants should fill-in the respective section in the attached TIR Seminar Registration Form. and return this form to the TIR secretariat as soon as possible but not later than on 25 September 2003. For other hotels in Moscow, participants may wish to consult the following websites: www.moscow-hotels.net, www.hotels-moscow.ru, www.moscow-hotels-russia.com.
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Visa Support
You may well need a visa to go to Russia. In this case, participants are invited to undertake the following steps:

• fill-in the attached visa application form;

• send the above application form together with a copy of your passport (the double page containing your photo) and an official cover letter to Mr. Vladimir VERKHUSHA, Acting Head of Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, 10 Sadovaya Samotechnaya, 101438 Moscow GSP-4 Russia, tel.: + 007 095 9269529 and + 007 095 9269641, fax.: + 007 095 9269304 or + 007 095 9269038. These documents should be received as soon as possible, but not later than on 8 September 2003;

• apply, in due course, for a visa to the competent Russian Consulate and follow its instructions.

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Further Information
Should you need any further information on the TIR Seminar in Moscow, please contact the TIR secretariat:

Mrs. Maria Ceccarelli (English, French)
Tel:  +41-22-917-2455
Mr. Konstatin Glukhenkiy (English, Russian)
Tel:  +41-22-917-1531

TIR secretariat
Palais des Nations, Office 400
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: +41-22-917-0614/0039
E-mail:  [email protected]
Internet: http://tir.unece.org
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