IRAN
The FATF welcomes Iran’s initial engagement with the international community on money laundering. However, the FATF remains concerned by Iran’s failure to meaningfully address the ongoing and substantial deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of
terrorism (AML/CFT) regime. The FATF remains particularly concerned about Iran’s failure to address the risk of terrorist financing and the serious threat this poses to the integrity of the international financial system. The FATF urges Iran to immediately and meaningfully address its AML/CFT deficiencies, in particular by criminalising terrorist financing and ffectively
implementing suspicious transaction reporting (STR) requirements.
The FATF reaffirms its call on members and urges all jurisdictions to advise their financial institutions to give special attention to business relationships and transactions with Iran, including Iranian companies and financial institutions. In addition to enhanced scrutiny, the FATF further calls on its members and urges all jurisdictions to apply effective counter-measures to
protect their financial sectors from money laundering and financing of terrorism (ML/FT) risks emanating from Iran. Jurisdictions should also protect against correspondent relationships being used to bypass or evade counter-measures and risk mitigation practices, and take into account ML/FT risks when considering requests by Iranian financial institutions to open branches and subsidiaries in their jurisdiction.
The FATF remains prepared to engage directly in assisting Iran to address its AML/CFT deficiencies, including through the FATF Secretariat.
UZBEKISTAN
The FATF welcomes the process undertaken by Uzbekistan to adopt comprehensive AML/CFT measures within a specific timeframe. Nevertheless, given that concrete measures to address the identified deficiencies have not yet been implemented, the FATF reiterates its statement of 16 October 2008, calling on its members and urging all jurisdictions to strengthen preventive measures to protect their financial sectors from the ML/FT risk emanating from Uzbekistan.
TURKMENISTAN
Despite a prolonged dialogue with the FATF and other international institutions, Turkmenistan has not yet made progress in adopting AML legislation. Financial institutions should remain aware that the lack of an AML/CFT regime in Turkmenistan constitutes an ML/FT vulnerability in
the international financial system and should take appropriate measures to address this risk. Turkmenistan is urged to adopt without further delay a comprehensive AML/CFT regime that meets international AML/CFT standards. Turkmenistan is encouraged to continue to work closely with the Eurasian Group and the International Monetary Fund to achieve this.
PAKISTAN
The FATF reaffirms its public statement of 28 February 2008 regarding the ML/FT risks posed by Pakistan. The FATF welcomes the process underway in Pakistan to improve its AML/CFT regime.
The FATF encourages Pakistan to continue to fully co-operate with the World Bank and the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) on its mutual evaluation process
SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE
The FATF welcomes São Tomé and Príncipe’s recent steps toward addressing identified AML deficiencies, in particular, through the adoption of an AML law in November 2008. The FATF urges São Tomé and Príncipe to address the remaining AML/CFT deficiencies, particularly relating to terrorist financing.
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