Maldives and Timor Leste join Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering in its annual meeting held in Nusa Dua, Bali Province, from July 7 to 11, 2008, anonymously approved the new membership of Maldives and Timor Leste in the grouping.

Indonesia hailed the membership of Maldives and Timor Leste in the APG to jointly fight international money laundering crimes, Public Relations Manager of Indonesia`s Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis Center (PPATK) Natsir Kongah said here on Monday.

"The presence of Timor Leste in APG will be very strategic for Indonesia especially, which is geographically and historically close to Timor Leste," he said.

Maldives had participated in several APG meetings and had expressed its interest in joining the grouping since a long time ago, he said. The island nation, which is located in the Indian ocean, has set up a financial intelligence unit.

The APG meeting was attended by more than 290 participants consisting of, among others, high ranking officials handling financial intelligence from 37 countries and 19 international organizations in the Asia-Pacific region. end (*)