Kuwait's Financial Intelligence Unit delegation, US Treasury officials eyes coop.

By: Ahmad Al-Mazyed WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (KUNA) -- Head of the Kuwait Financial Intelligence Unit (KFIU) and Chairman of the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Dr. Hamad Al-Mukrad held talks late Tuesday with officials at the US Department of the Treasury on issues of mutual concern and ways to boost bilateral cooperation.
The delegation, included representatives from Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior and the General Administration of Customs, reviewed Kuwait's recent progress in implementing measures outlined in The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) evaluation report published last October.
After the meeting, Dr. Al-Mukrad told KUNA that among the key steps completed on record time were amendments to Law No. 106/2013 on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), as well as revisions to the International Cooperation Law concerning legal assistance and extradition.
He noted that the National Committee's member agencies had prepared a national risk assessment report and launched a year-long awareness campaign for the private sector on anti-money-laundering(AML) and counter-terrorism financing(CFT) compliance. KFIU, he added, has strengthen domestic coordination and with financial institutions to improve the quality of reporting the effectiveness of Kuwait's AML/CFT framework. Assistant Foreign Minister for Development and International Cooperation Affairs Ambassador Hamad Al-Meshaan said that cooperation with the US in AML/CFT and combating violent extremism remains a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship. He told KUNA that the two sides had recently achieved progress through joint listings and sustained coordination between competent authorities, reflecting both countries' commitment to confronting security challenges and supporting global stability.
Both sides agreed to bolster cooperation through joint workshops, capacity-building initiatives, and information-sharing to enhance efforts at the national and international levels.
Earlier, First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah reaffirmed during his meeting with US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Kuwait's commitment to advancing security cooperation with the US, particularly in counter-terrorism, organized crime, and cybersecurity. (end) amm.sar