Abu Dhabi, December 27 / WAM / The General Secretariat of the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Financing Illegal Organizations, and the Financial Police of the Italian Republic (Guardia di Finanza) signed today a memorandum of understanding to launch a strategic partnership to combat financial crime threats.

The signing is an important step towards strengthening international cooperation to protect the integrity of the global financial system, as the memorandum contributes to facilitating enhanced coordinated efforts and the exchange of expertise and best practices between law enforcement agencies and authorities concerned with combating money laundering, with the aim of effectively addressing major threats such as money laundering and tax evasion.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by His Excellency Hamed Saif Al Zaabi, Secretary-General and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Financing Illegal Organizations, and Lieutenant General Leandro Cuzzocrea, Chief of Staff of the Financial Police of the Italian Republic.

His Excellency Hamed Al Zaabi said that the memorandum of understanding comes within the framework of an ongoing and fruitful strategic partnership between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Italy, stressing that the signing represents a pivotal step towards strengthening the partnership between the two countries in the field of combating financial crimes.

He explained that through the memorandum, the foundations are laid for a global standard of international cooperation to ensure the protection of financial systems from illicit activities and to bring perpetrators to justice.

His Excellency said that the ongoing bilateral cooperation between the UAE and Italy in combating money laundering and terrorist financing reflects tangible successes, including the arrest and extradition of prominent criminals and the seizure of significant amounts of illicit assets.

For his part, General Cuzzocrea said that the General Secretariat of the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering represents a key institutional counterpart for the Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza), stressing that the memorandum of understanding signed today will enhance cooperation in areas of common interest, thereby contributing to strengthening efforts to address challenges related to upholding legality and security in both countries.

The signing of the memorandum of understanding comes to enhance the existing strategic and operational cooperation between various relevant authorities in the two countries, particularly in the areas of international cooperation, extradition of criminals, and combating illicit cross-border financial flows.

It is noteworthy that the memorandum of understanding was signed concurrently with the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Financial Police.