Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism reports start of third mutual evaluation round, 260 experts trained

The Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism published its 2024-2025 annual results, covering September 2024 to August 2025, highlighting progress in three areas: strengthening national anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing systems, reducing regional risks, and expanding multilateral cooperation. The report identifies the launch of the third round of mutual evaluations as the main driver of work in the region and the first strategic priority for 2024-2028. Supporting that round, the EAG Secretariat trained 260 national experts and issued practical guidance to reflect updated Financial Action Task Force standards, including on risk-based supervision of non-profit organizations under Recommendation 8 and on joint international financial investigations. The group also launched a pilot mutual technical assistance project for the Kyrgyz Republic ahead of its evaluation, said that this model will be extended to Tajikistan, and noted work on a technical assistance plan for Iran. On regional risks, the 42nd Plenary reviewed implementation of the risk-minimization plan and the report says the approach has produced permanent monitoring tools and a downward trend in some risks. The report also says the EAG methodology was used by the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force as the basis for its own regional risk assessment methodology, while the United Arab Emirates and Afreximbank received observer status during the period. The EAG said technical assistance for countries entering the evaluation schedule will continue, starting with Tajikistan after Kyrgyzstan, and that work to identify and reduce regional money laundering and terrorist financing risks will continue under the new evaluation cycle.