The fifth meeting of the Council of Heads ofFinancial Intelligence Unitsof theCommonwealth of Independent States (CIS)focused on combating money laundering and terrorism financing took place on 16 May inBishkek, supported by theOSCE Centrein Bishkek.
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was created in December 1991. In the adopted Declaration the participants of the Commonwealth declared their interaction on the basis of sovereign equality.
At present theCIS unites: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
The participants discussed the establishment of an information exchange between the Financial Intelligence units of the CIS countries.
They also discussed the draft Protocol on Amendments and Additions to the Agreement on counteraction of laundering of criminal incomes and financing of terrorism and the Protocol on Co-operation between the Council of the Heads of Financial Intelligence Units of the CIS Member States.
“The establishment of an effective system for combating money laundering and terrorist financing is key for the economic and social stability of every country and the integrity of its financial system,” said Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek,Ambassador Sergey Kapinos. “It represents an essential tool towards improving the investment climate and attracting foreign investments. No country can counteract these threats alone. It requires joint efforts by all stakeholders”.
As a result of the Centre’s assistanceKyrgyzstan was removed from the FATF’s ‘grey list’in July 2014 and is no longer subject to the FATF’s monitoring process under its ongoing global process of compliance with requirements on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism. In a related, more recent achievement, theEurasian Groupon combatting money laundering and financing of terrorism (EAG) removed Kyrgyzstan from its monitoring list.
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