Head of Russian Audit Chamber travels to US on official visit

The head of the Russian Audit Chamber begins an official two-day visit to the United States today. As reported to a Rosbalt correspondent by the Russian Audit Chamber information service, the trip will include discussions with the head of the American General Accounting Office, David Walker, and will address high-level cooperation by the financial control agencies of the two countries to expose financial channels used by international terrorism, as well as money laundering.

Other issues to be discussed will include the participation of Russian and American financial control agencies in areas such as trade and investment, cooperation in the sphere of information technology, and joint efforts to destroy chemical weapons.

Sergei Stepashin will also take part in a working session of the international organization of financial control agencies, INTOSAI, on money laundering. The organization was created through the initiative of the Russian Audit Chamber last year as a way of consolidating the efforts of the financial control agencies of 170 countries to expose financial channels used by international terrorist organizations. In addition, Stepashin will take part in discussions held under the aegis of the US General Accounting Office, with the participation of US officials and representatives of international financial organizations, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Action Task Force.