Behlul Cetinkaya
December 30, 2021•Update: December 30, 2021
ANKARA
The Turkish government has ratified several international agreements in areas of sports, transportation, economy, and trade, according to the country's Official Gazette on Thursday.
The agreements with Palestine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, and Lesotho were detailed in the gazette.
The 2021 amendments made in the annexes of “the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road” prepared under the UN Economic Commission for Europe, was ratified.
With the decision, about 40 sections, as well as sub-articles of the agreement, were amended.
A cooperation agreement signed on Feb. 6, 2018 between Turkey and Palestine in the area of youth and sports was also ratified.
With this agreement, the two countries will cooperate in many fields such as lifelong learning, family, education, culture, science and technology, as well as arts and entrepreneurship.
Both countries will also be able to organize joint youth camps, exchange programs, and projects, while similar projects will be carried out in the field of sports, including works on sports organizations and encouragement of women in sports.
The two countries will invite each other to the sports events they organize.
A Turkey-Palestine Joint Committee will also be established to evaluate and develop cooperation on policies for youth and sports and to encourage new partnerships.
The agreement will be effective after mutual notification following the completion of the legal processes in the two countries.
Road transport protocols with Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan
Turkey also ratified the protocol of the Turkish-Uzbek International Joint Commission on International Road Transport meeting that was held in Tashkent on June 30-July 1.
Meanwhile, the protocol of the Azerbaijani-Turkish Joint Commission on international road transport meeting that was signed in Istanbul on June 25, and the Archive Cooperation Protocol signed in Baku on May 10, 2012 were also ratified.
Economic and commercial agreements with Lesotho, Vietnam
The cooperation agreement on trade and economy signed in Istanbul on Nov. 3, 2016 with Lesotho was also approved.
As part of the agreement, Turkey and Lesotho will expand their cooperation in areas such as trade development, mutual investment, agriculture and livestock development, energy and mineral resources, science and technology and services.
Also, the parties will give each other "the most favored nation status" on customs duties and fees.
Turkey-Lesotho Joint Economic Commission will be established with this agreement.
The agreement will remain in effect for five years from the date of its entry into force.
The Official Gazette also included an agreement on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters between Turkey and Vietnam.
According to the agreement signed on Aug. 23, 2017 in Hanoi, the countries will cooperate and provide assistance in the prevention, investigation, and combating of customs crimes in accordance with the provisions of the agreement.
They will also inform each other about the special methods used in the fight against crimes and the new methods used in committing crimes as well as issues such as various prohibited substances, weapons, counterfeit or pirated goods.
The parties will also carry out mutual customs officer training and expert exchange.
The amendments made in some articles of the EU-Common Transition Countries Joint Committees Agreement on the common transit were also approved.
In accordance with the Irish-Northern Ireland Protocol signed with Brexit, Northern Ireland was described as an "EU part" for some articles of the agreement, although it is part of the UK.
*Writing by Seda Sevencan
