International organizations

The Eurasian group on combating money laundering and financing of terrorism (EAG)

The Eurasian group on combating money laundering and financing of terrorism (EAG) is a FATF-style regional body uniting Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It is destined to play an important role in reducing threat of terrorism and providing transparent, reliable and secure financial systems of the region states, as well as involving of region states in international system combating legalization of illegally-gained income and terrorism financing.

The EAG statutory documents (Declaration on the establishment of the Eurasian group on combating money laundering and financing of terrorism, Terms of reference of EAG) were signed by the states on October 6, 2004.

In June 2011 intergovernmental Agreement about EAG was signed.

The highest governing body of EAG is the Plenary meeting, which shall normally convene twice a year, but not less than once a year. Member-states’ delegations participate in the work of the Plenary meeting.

Observer status in EAG is given to 12 states: Armenia, Afghanistan, Germany, Italia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Serbia, USA, Turkey, Ukraine and Montenegro, and 17 international regional organizations.

EAG holds active work on cooperation with the group observers, one of its trends is realization of the program of technical assistance for each EAG member-states.

Kazakhstan was also involved in a number of consultations and training seminars organized by UNOCD, The World Bank/IMF, OSCE, Embassy of the United States in Kazakhstan and other donors.

EAG is headed by a Chairman elected for a period of 2 years by the Plenary meeting. In November 2011 during the 15th Plenary meeting Chikhanchin Yuri Anatolyevich, the head of Federal service on financial monitoring, was elected as the EAG Chairman.

The function of the working body of EAG executes EAG secretariat, at the moment Boris Toporov is an acting executive secretary.

The following working groups were created and are functioning in the frameworks of EAG:

• Working group on mutual assessment and legal issues
• Working group on typologies
• Working group on technical cooperation
• Working group on control.

Co-chairman of the working group on technical cooperation is the head of Department of the Committee on financial monitoring Arda Igembaev.

EAG strives to render assistance to the states of the region in creation and development of the national systems on combating money laundering and terrorism financing (AML/CFT), as well as increase potential of economic growth and sustainable development of the region, improve control over financial sector and entire economy of member-states.

Key task of EAG:

• assisting member states in implementing the 40 FATF anti-money laundering Recommendations and the 9 Special FATF Recommendations on combating terrorist financing (FATF 40+9 Recommendations);
• developing and conducting joint activities in the sphere of AML/CFT in terms of competence of FIUs;
• implementing a program of mutual evaluations of member states based on the FATF 40+9 Recommendations, including assessment of the effectiveness of legislative and other measures;
• coordinating cooperation programs with international organizations, bodies, and interested states;
• analyzing money laundering and terrorist financing trends (typologies) and exchanging best practices of combating such crimes taking into account regional specifics;
• rendering technical assistance to EAG member states.

Realization of these tasks is directed at increased efficiency of AML/CFT system modes of each EAG member-state and higher potential of economic growth and sustainable development of the region.

Detailed information you can find on the official site of the EAG (www.eurasiangroup.org)