Anti-money laundering practices focus of OSCE workshop in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT, 2 April 2012 –  Prevention of money-laundering by applying international mechanisms, tools and best practices is the focus of an OSCE -supported workshop for experts and civil servants that opened in Ashgabat today.

Several international experts will share with participants their experiences in a wide range of areas, including European mechanisms of preventing money laundering, financial tools to detect terrorism and extremism financing, as well as investigating cases of financing proliferation activities. The workshop participants will look at case studies on money laundering in offshore zones, and money laundering-related IT crimes; they will also discuss methods of combating corruption and bribery.

“Money-laundering and its consequences pose a serious threat to national and international security”, said Ambassador Sergei Belyaev, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “The importance of inter-agency and international information sharing in tackling the issue is difficult to overestimate here.”

The five-day workshop was organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in co-operation with the OSCE Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. Representatives from the Finance Ministry, Economy and Development Ministry, Ministry of Internal Affairs,  General Prosecutor’s Office, National Security Ministry, Supreme and Arbitration Courts, Justice Ministry, State Border Service, State Customs Service, Central Bank, State Tax Service and Foreign Ministry are attending the workshop.

“This training workshop marks another positive step in Turkmenistan-OSCE co-operation; it demonstrates the continuous willingness of Turkmenistan to engage in working with international partners in promoting good governance. We believe today’s event will contribute to national capacity-building and enhance the commitment of the country’s authorities to combating money laundering." said Belyaev.