Is Serbia removed from the list of high-risk countries? The first result of Prime Minister Brnabic's visit to the United States

Serbia could soon be removed from the list of high-risk countries when it comes to money laundering and business security, where we were included in February this year, Novosti reports.

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According to our information, one of the key issues at the meeting of PM Ana Brnabic with the Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, held in Washington on Wednesday, was the latest report of the international Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FAFT), in which Serbia is among the countries which have been placed under increased supervision. 

FATF is a body that combats money laundering, terrorist financing, and organized crime, and reports on its results to G20 members (the most developed countries in the world) and the European Commission. One of the most influential countries in this organization is the US and their voice can be decisive for putting or removing a country from the list.

When FATF puts the state under "monitoring", it can lead to difficulties in paying to and from abroad or the companies in it can have difficulties while trying to operate. The Serbian authorities, while publishing the FATF report in February, said they had met the recommendations of that body and that six systemic laws against money laundering and terrorism had been adopted.

Foto: VLADA REPUBLIKE SRBIJE

Brnabic stressed that Serbia has already fulfilled all the conditions to be removed from this list, and Secretary Mnuchin stressed that the United States is satisfied with the measures Serbia has applied so far.

The removal from the list could be the first "tangible" result of the visit of the PM to the USA, which has a ceremonial prefix - marking of the hundred years since the Serbian flag was raised on the White House, an anniversary which was marked as an opportunity for opening a new chapter in relations between Serbia and USA.

On Thursday, the last day of the US visit, the Prime Minister held separate meetings with Senator Rhon Johnson, the chairman of the Subcommittee for Europe, Senator Tom Cotton, Senate Military Committee member and congressman Steve Stevens, the next chairman of the Serbian Association of members of the American Congress.

Dacic emphasized that it is important to use the anniversary to improve our relationship with the USA. The Foreign Minister reiterated the idea to raise the monument to US president Woodrow Wilson in Belgrade.

(Telegraf.co.uk / Vecernje Novosti)