Russia admitted to the International Group of Financial Intelligence Units Egmont

Russia has been admitted to the International Group of Financial Intelligence Units Egmont. As has been reported by a source in the French financial intelligence TRACFIN, Russia is the sixtieth state which has become a member of this influential organisation.

The decision on Russia's membership in Egmont was adopted on Wednesday in Monaco where the session of this organisation is now going on.

The guarantors of Russia's admission to the Egmont were France, the USA, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Slovenia.

Earlier, Viktor Zubkov, Russian First Deputy Finance Minister and head of the committee for financial monitoring, told RIA Novosti that Russia had every reason to hope to be admitted to the International Group of Financial Intelligence Units Egmont.

The Egmont group unites the financial intelligences of fifty-nine countries. In 1995, the financial intelligence units of the majority of the countries united to form this organisation. Its first session took place in the Egmont-Arenberg Palace in Brussels. Hence its name - Egmont.

The aim of Egmont is to ensure the exchange of information between the financial intelligence units in different countries and to support their national programmes for combating legalisation of criminal incomes.

Despite some differences in the size, structure and powers, all these units have a common aim - the fight against legalising criminal incomes. This organisation helps financial intelligences to exchange information.