Lieutenant General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of the Interior, Chairman of the Committee to Combat Extremism and Combating Terrorism, Its Financing and Money Laundering, received this morning Mrs. Samia Abu Sharif, Head of the Financial Action Task Force for countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, CEO of the National Financial Investigation Center and Head of the Committee to Combat Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Minister praised the role of the Financial Action Task Force for the Middle East and North Africa region in combating money laundering and terrorist financing crimes and implementing applicable international standards, stressing that constructive cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the international group contributes to enhancing international confidence and the distinguished reputation of the Bahrain financial and banking centre.
He pointed to the strategic initiatives being implemented within the framework of the Kingdom’s keenness to modernize anti-money laundering and terrorist financing policies based on legislative and legal foundations, noting the role of the National Financial Investigation Center in developing plans to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, and strengthening national efforts and increasing their effectiveness, especially in light of the Kingdom’s readiness for the upcoming comprehensive evaluation.
During the meeting, it was also discussed that Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa will assume the position of Vice President of the Group during the coming year, and the confidence this reflects in the Kingdom’s role and position in strengthening international efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing and protect the financial system.
