The exit from the money laundering gray list was praised by Albanian Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku as a result of significant and well-coordinated work by Albanian institutions.

The statements were made during the annual meeting of the Coordinating Committee for the Fight Against Money Laundering, held this morning under the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Balluku and with the participation of representatives from institutions that are part of this Committee.

In her opening speech, the Deputy Prime Minister characterized the year 2023 as a successful one in terms of the achievements made by our country in this direction, culminating in Albania’s removal from the FATF gray list.

“I must emphasize that this positive moment for Albania has come as a result of a lot of hard work by all of us, where the consolidation and implementation of judicial reform have played a crucial role, as have the new institutions created, such as the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK). These institutions have supported the work of traditional law enforcement institutions, giving impact to Albania’s exit from the FATF gray list. This meeting of the Committee for Coordinating the Fight Against Money Laundering is a joint commitment to continue the fight against financial crime in general and, in particular, money laundering through investigations, convictions, seizures, and confiscations,” Balluku announced.

The Deputy Prime Minister further added that the Albanian Government has paid special attention to the fight against money laundering by increasing institutional capacities and investing in information technology systems, aiming to increase efficiency. Artificial intelligence and interaction between institutions in the fight against economic crime are a major goal of the Albanian government, according to Balluku.

“We aim to agree on the need for a national strategy in the field of preventing and combating money laundering and terrorist financing, drafting and approving this strategy within the first 6 months of 2024. This strategy will be a guideline for a series of evaluative processes and will increase the efficiency of this Committee,” explained the Deputy Prime Minister.

Thanking all actors involved in this direction, Balluku once again emphasized the need and importance of cooperation between all institutions to prevent money laundering.