OSCE Centre assists Kazakhstan in combating money-laundering and financing of terrorism

ALMATY, 24 June 2005 - Building a legal framework and institutional structure to combat money-laundering and the financing of terrorism was the aim of a study visit to Italy by a group of experts from Kazakhstan from 20 to 24 June.

Representatives of Kazakhstan's law enforcement agencies and ministries, the General Prosecutor's Office and the Presidential Administration, as well as financial regulatory bodies, met their counterparts from the Italian Interior Ministry's National Anti-Mafia Investigative Department, the special unit of the Finance Police, the Italian Financial Intelligence Unit and the National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor.

During the visit, which is a component of a programme to assist Kazakhstani efforts to create a Financial Intelligence Unit and adopt legislation in line with international standards, the participants learned about the Italian legal framework and institutional co-operation in combating organized crime, money-laundering and terrorism financing, and discussed co-operation between law enforcement bodies in Italy and Kazakhstan.

The study visit was organized by the OSCE Centre in Almaty and the Italian Foreign Ministry.

"This trip gave us an opportunity to get familiar with Italian institutions in charge of combating organized crime and money-laundering," said Ekatherine Nikitinskaya, of Kazakhstan's agency in charge of fighting economic and corruption crimes.

"We believe that close collaboration and direct contacts between law enforcement, investigation agencies and financial institutions can provide an effective means to fight economic crimes."

Kazakhstan is in the process of drafting a law on money-laundering and combating terrorism financing.