Bishkek workshop discusses combating money laundering and terrorism financing

BISHKEK, 30 September 2002 - Money laundering is a direct threat to both national and international security and international co-operation is essential in resisting it, international experts said during a two-day workshop in Bishkek starting today.

In his opening address to the "National Workshop on Combating Money Laundering and Suppressing Financing of Terrorism", the Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister, Joomart Otorbaev, stressed the need to improve the country's legislation.

"Until we assure the world community that we are a transparent country and that we are able to combat money laundering and crime, we will not succeed in attracting foreign investment", he said.

The meeting, which is organized by the OSCE, the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP) and the Kyrgyz Government, is the first of a series of national workshops aiming at the implementation of the Action Programme endorsed by the December 2002 Bishkek conference on enhancing security and stability in Central Asia.

"The OSCE focuses on addressing factors that provide fertile ground for terrorism", Marc Baltes, Deputy Co-ordinator of the OSCE's Economic and Environmental Activities, said. "The consequences of money laundering have to be seen as a threat to national and international security. Each international organization has something to contribute in combating against it."

Dolgor Solongo, representing ODCCP's Global Programme Against Money Laundering, emphasized that countries do not have a choice whether to take action against money laundering or not. "Neither criminals nor money stay in one country, and we need co-operation not only within a national but also an international framework to prevent the problem", she said.

Representatives from national institutions of Kyrgyzstan, including the Central Bank, government ministries, police, prosecutors, judiciary and parliamentary committees, as well as experts from Austria, Canada, Croatia, the IMF, the World Bank and UNDP will exchange their experiences in legislative and technical aspects of the issue, to assist with the development of corresponding legislation and administrative structures in Kyrgyzstan.

The two-day workshop will be followed by a similar one in Astana, Kazakhstan this week.