The Republic of Cyprus and the United States, with satisfaction, reaffirm their joint commitment to strengthening Cyprus’ capabilities to combat illegal financing, according to a joint statement by the Republic of Cyprus and the US Embassy in Nicosia.

Especially, it is understood that the two countries look forward to continuing their cooperation, ensuring that justice is served and financial crimes are effectively dealt with.

🇺🇸 & 🇨🇾 reaffirm a shared commitment to countering illicit finance. ⁦@TheJusticeDept⁩ ⁦⁦@FBI⁩ ⁦⁦@StateINL⁩ ⁦⁦@CYpresidency⁩ ⁦⁦@Cyprus_Police⁩ ⁦⁦⁦@LawOfficeCY⁩ ⁦⁦@MinJusticeCY

The joint statement, issued after the meeting on Monday of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, with an FBI team located in Cyprus, added that in March 2024, the Republic of Cyprus and the United States launched a joint effort to strengthen the capacity of the Republic of Cyprus to detect, investigate, and prosecute financial crimes.

This initiative continues to be led by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with the support of the Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the US Department of State and the Embassy in Nicosia. .

The FBI and the US Department of Justice have shared their extensive experience with the respective Cypriot authorities, resulting in enhanced capabilities for the proactive detection, investigation, and prosecution of financial crime cases related to Cyprus, the statement said. .

The US Government provided specialised investigative and prosecutorial assistance, significantly enhancing Cyprus’ ability to handle complex financial criminal cases. This cooperation has also advanced anti-money laundering efforts and strengthened future prosecutions, improving the strength, integrity, and resilience of the Cypriot legal system and the Cypriot economy, it added.

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The Republic of Cyprus and the United States confirm, according to the joint statement, that this cooperation remains an ongoing effort. The United States remains committed to continued coordination with Cypriot law enforcement authorities to strengthen capabilities to address illicit financing.

An example of this commitment to joint effort and the positive cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and the United States is, at the request of the Republic of Cyprus, the relocation of the Regional Legal Counsel (RLA) to Cyprus; it is noted. 

In relation to future actions, the joint statement notes that there is an ambitious training plan for 2025, in order to continue the development of new skills and abilities of the competent Cypriot Authorities, both at the local level and at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Budapest.

Currently, the project is reported to include over 21 weeks of training for various Cypriot Law Enforcement Authorities, in areas such as financial investigation and forensic accounting techniques, case management, and technology solutions related to investigations. The collaboration initiated by the FBI/DOJ task force will continue, ensuring that thorough investigative work adheres to the highest standards of fairness and leads to successful prosecutions, it noted.

The Republic of Cyprus and the United States share a common vision for justice and are united in their commitment to strengthening cooperation on critical law enforcement issues, the joint statement underlined. 

Both countries look forward to continuing to work together on these challenges, ensuring that justice is served and financial crimes are effectively dealt with, the joint statement concluded.

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