The Kyrgyz Republic is bolstering its role in advancing paperless trade within the Asia-Pacific region, according to a report from the Ministry of Economy's press service.

According to it, the fifth session of the Standing Committee of the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific was held in Bangkok from April 1 to 3 with the participation of member states, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kyrgyz media.

In accordance with the meeting agenda, elections of the leadership of the Standing Committee were held on April 1. Following the results, Zair Konurbaev, a representative of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, was elected Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee. A representative of Azerbaijan was elected Chairman.

During the meeting, the Kyrgyz side made a statement emphasizing the consistent advancement of digitalization of procedures in the areas of phytosanitary control and certification of origin of goods in the Kyrgyz Republic.

During the session dedicated to the national individual plans of the member states of the framework agreement, the Kyrgyz side also held presentation «Accelerating Cross-Border Paperless Trade: Progress in Developing the National Roadmap of the Kyrgyz Republic.»

The roadmap aims to support the implementation of the framework agreement at the national level. Furthermore, during the fifth session, the inaugural meeting of the working group on the implementation of the electronic bill of lading was held.

Kyrgyzstan reaffirmed its commitment to developing international cooperation and further promoting digital solutions to facilitate cross-border trade.

The members of the framework agreement are Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, and Thailand.