Co-ordinator for OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities wraps up visit to Kyrgyzstan by kicking off a training course on virtual assets

On 17 and 18 December, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) conducted an introductory workshop in Bishkek on the prevention and investigation of the criminal use of virtual assets and blockchain-based finance. The workshop was opened by Ambassador Bakyt Dzhusupov, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, and gathered representatives from relevant investigative authorities, including from the Prosecutor’s General Office, the State Financial Intelligence Service, the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Committee for National Security.

Through interactive and practical sessions, the workshop aimed to enhance the understanding and skillset of practitioners on addressing financial crimes through blockchain technology.

“Modern digital technologies are developing rapidly, and so are the methods and tactics used by criminals to exploit these innovations,” said Ambassador Dzhusupov in his opening remarks. “In order to effectively address these challenges, governments and international actors must work to develop robust and multifaceted measures,” he added.

During his visit, Ambassador Dzhusupov discussed the work of OCEEA on combatting corruption and money laundering with senior-level officials from the Financial Market Regulation and Supervision Service under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the National Bank, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the State Committee for National Security, and the State Financial Intelligence Service. He also met with officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Special Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on mountain regions development and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to discuss more broadly OCEEA’s work and opportunities for collaboration in Kyrgyzstan.

The workshop was organized as part of the extra-budgetary project “Innovative Policy Solutions to Mitigate Money-Laundering Risks of Virtual Assets”, implemented by OCEEA and financially supported by Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.