On November 19, 2024, the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) organized the coordination meeting with international partners on the “National Strategy for the Prevention of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and its Action Plan 2024-2027” with the aim of coordinating assistance and support for the implementation of activities integral part of this document.

The meeting also featured the presentation of the draft “Strategy for Raising Public Awareness on the Risks that Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing posed in our society” which is part of the action plan for the implementation of “National Strategy for the Prevention of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism”.

Permanent members of the Technical Inter-Institutional Work Group (TIWG), representatives of public institutions and representatives of the private sector also participated in this meeting. The TIWG is a special structure in order to increase the effectiveness of the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism with the main goal of increasing communication between the responsible institutions and those of the private sector to increase efficiency and progress in the preventive system of the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

In this meeting, the international partners appreciated the initiative of the Albanian authorities and the private sector in the drafting of the National Strategy and especially the coordinating role of the FIA during the process of consultation, drafting and monitoring of it. Furthermore, they confirmed their willingness for the continued assistance in launching new projects that will target the mitigation of emerging financial crime risks, improve capacity for managing risks linked to designated professions, and prioritize collaboration between the public and private sectors.

In their speech, the representatives of public institutions expressed their gratitude to the international partners for all the assistance provided in different projects and the very positive impact that has resulted from the implementation of these projects over the years. Also, the role of FIA in the coordination of all joint initiatives, which have brought very adequate results in the deepening and concretization of proactive inter-institutional cooperation and the exchange of positive experiences between them, was particularly emphasized.

The institutions of the private sector congratulated the initiative undertaken by FIA for organizing this meeting with international partners, expressing appreciation for their significant involvement in the TIWG, both during the drafting and during the implementation of the National Strategy, as well as assured the contribution of their further efforts in addressing the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing.

At the end of this meeting, the General Director of the Financial Intelligence Agency thanked the participation in this meeting and the very fruitful cooperation with all Albanian institutions and representatives of the private sector. As well as, in particular, the cooperation with international partners in the framework of assistance for the most effective implementation of the measures of the action plan of the national strategy, emphasizing that the Technical Inter-Institutional Working Group has the necessary capacities to follow with significance, responsibility and transparency that will maximize the effective use of the assistance that will be provided.