Consideration of issues related to regional risk assessment in the Republic of Tajikistan

In accordance with the Working Plan of the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (EAG) for 2021 and the plan for conducting a regional risk assessment (RRA) in the field of money laundering and terrorism financing, from August 3 to 5, 2021 at the National Bank of Tajikistan the Working Team of the above-mentioned international institution held meetings with representatives of the public and private sectors.

The National Bank of Tajikistan, as an authorized authority on anti-money-laundering, combating terrorismfinancing and financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organized meetings of representatives of government authorities and the private sector with experts of the EAG, including:

• 3rd August 2021–meeting with representatives of law enforcement agencies (General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Tajikistan, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan, Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption of the Republic of Tajikistan, Agency for Drug Control under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan);

• 4th August 2021–meeting with representatives of supervisory authorities (Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Tajikistan, Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, Tax Committee under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Financial Monitoring Department under the National Bank of Tajikistan);

• 5th August 2021–meeting with representatives of the private sector (credit and insurance institutions, established non-financial professions and enterprises).

These field meetings were organized with the purpose to obtain additional information and discuss identified discrepancies in regional risks assessment of with representatives of the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as clarify the degree of their relevance and increase the objectivity of the previously sent findings of the country's public sectors.

It should be noted that on the basis of the EAG questionnaire, a regional assessment of risks in money laundering and terrorism financing was previously carried out with participation of relevant authorities of the country and during meetings interim findings on regional risks for the Republic of Tajikistan were discussed.

According to the internal plan of the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, in order to minimize the identified regional risks, based on the results of the meetings, an RRA report is prepared andwill be presented at the next EAG Plenary meeting.

It should be noted that within the framework of the project “Conducting a Regional Risk Assessment in the Sphere of Money Laundering and TerrorismFinancing” EAG experts, along with an assessment of regional risks in the Republic of Tajikistan, will also hold meetings in the Republic of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation.