OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports workshop for Eurasian Group on combating money laundering and financing of terrorism
ISSYK-KUL, Kyrgyzstan, 22 August 2015 – A five-day workshop on harmonizing evaluation procedures of assessors from Eurasian Group (EAG) member states on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism completed today in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. The workshop was organized by the State Financial Intelligence Unit under the Government of Kyrgyzstan and EAG in co-operation with the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.
The workshop aimed at training assessors and analysts of the nine EAG member states (Belarus, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) to mutually evaluate national anti-money laundering systems and strategies of combating the financing of terrorism systems for their compliance with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Some 30 representatives from financial intelligence units, justice ministries, law enforcement agencies and national banks of the nine EAG member states as well as representatives of the Council of Europe have participated.
“We concentrate our efforts on assisting the Kyrgyz Government in combating corruption in the private and public sectors, in anti-money laundering and addressing the financing of terrorism,” said John MacGregor, Acting Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “It is also imperative to improve the framework regulating the business sector, creating a competitive business environment that is favourable to foreign investments.
“Combatting money laundering is a significant part of fighting terrorism. Countering terrorism is a priority of all OSCE 57 participating States. Each person who can more effectively combat money laundering is also contributing to fighting terrorism.”