The 32nd Plenary Meeting of the Egmont Group, the global organization of financial intelligence units, was held in Baku, organized by the Financial Monitoring Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The event, held from 5 to 10 July 2026, brought together heads of financial intelligence units from various countries around the world, as well as representatives of international organizations. The Plenary Meeting, along with meetings of the Working and Regional Groups, addressed ways to strengthen international cooperation in combating money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT), current challenges in the field of financial intelligence, and future areas of activity.
Opening the Plenary Meeting, Elżbieta Franków-Jaśkiewicz, Chair of the Egmont Group, noted that the event serves as an important platform for financial intelligence units to come together, exchange views, and strengthen joint efforts to combat financial crime.
The floor was then given to Mr. Giles Thomson, President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of international cooperation, the timely exchange of financial intelligence, and global partnerships in combating financial crime.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov noted that Azerbaijan hosting the Egmont Group Plenary Meeting for the first time demonstrates the country’s strong commitment to international cooperation in the field of financial security. The Minister emphasized that, amid rapid digitalization and the development of financial technologies, strengthening public-private partnerships and expanding the timely exchange of information between financial intelligence units and relevant authorities are of significant importance for enhancing the effectiveness of efforts to combat financial crime.
In his remarks, Zaur Fatizade, Chairman of the Board of the Financial Monitoring Service, expressed his pleasure at welcoming representatives of the Egmont Group to Baku. He stated: “We are confident that the discussions held will make a significant contribution to further strengthening international cooperation and advancing our joint efforts to combat financial crime.”
One of the key themes of the 2026 Plenary Meeting was strengthening public-private partnerships in response to the evolving nature of financial crime. In this context, participants exchanged views on enhancing information-sharing mechanisms and joint cooperation among financial intelligence units, law enforcement and supervisory authorities, as well as representatives of the financial sector.
