OSCE promotes anti-money laundering mechanisms in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT, 18 November 2013 – Effective mechanisms to prevent and combat money laundering were the focus of an OSCE-organized workshop that took place in Ashgabat today.

The workshop was organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA). It brought together 20 officials from the Finance Ministry and its Finance Intelligence Unit, the Economy and Development Ministry, Foreign Ministry, the State Tax Service, law-enforcement agencies and banks.

“Money laundering poses a threat to the functioning of the economy, as well as to national and international security,” said Ambassador Ivo Petrov, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “Anti-money-laundering measures are playing an essential role in promoting economic development, private businesses and the rule of law.”

“The efforts of states to combat money laundering should become part of their economic reform measures and the OSCE stands ready to assist its participating States in developing effective anti-money laundering mechanisms.”

Experts from Poland, Serbia and the OSCE Secretariat talked about building an institutional framework, enhancing professional skills and knowledge to successfully prevent and combat money laundering. 

The workshop participants discussed issues related to national risk assessment and activities to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism in Turkmenistan.

The training workshop is a follow-up to a workshop on anti-corruption mechanisms held in April 2013; it is part of the Centre’s project on reinforcement of good governance principles in Turkmenistan. Other activities under the project in 2013 included also a study tour to Serbia for officials from Turkmenistan to discuss anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering practices with their Serbian counterparts.