OSCE Mission to Serbia, Guardia di Finanza organize training seminar on financial and tax investigations

BELGRADE, 31 October 2008 - Some 40 Serbian officials took part in an OSCE Mission workshop on financial and tax investigations and effective prosecution of fraudulent transactions, which ended today in Belgrade.

The four-day event, organized by the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Italian Guardia Di Finanza (financial police), aimed to strengthen the capacity of Serbian institutions to effectively fight financial crime. Participants included representatives from the Serbian Finance Ministry's offices for tax, customs, money laundering and foreign currency, as well as from the judiciary.

"International co-operation and exchange of experiences is of utmost importance for the further capacity development of Serbia in its fight against all types of financial crime," said Miodrag Djidic, State Secretary in the Serbian Finance Ministry.

Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, said: "I believe that effective co-operation between Serbian institutions and international partners is essential for a successful strategy for combating economic crimes. Safeguarding rule of law is crucial for economic growth."

"We are pleased to share with our Serbian colleagues our experiences in preventing and fighting economic and financial crimes, and we are planning to continue our co-operation," said Cosimo D'Arrigo, Commander of the Guardia di Finanza.

The Italian Guardia di Finanza, a police unit under the Italian Minister of Economy and Finance, comprises 65,000 officers and has extensive knowledge in conducting investigations and safeguarding the economic and financial security of public funds. This is the third event the OSCE Mission to Serbia has organized jointly with the Guardia di Finanza since 2006, strongly supported by the Italian Embassy in Belgrade.