The US and Cyprus on Monday said they had reaffirmed “their shared commitment to enhancing Cypriot capabilities to counter illicit finance”.

A joint statement was issued by the US embassy and the government following a meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides and a delegation of US officials led by ambassador Julie Fisher earlier in the day.

According to the statement, in March 2024, the US and Cyprus embarked on a collaborative effort to strengthen Cyprus’ ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute financial crimes.

This initiative, spearheaded by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with support from the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the embassy Nicosia, “has yielded significant progress”.

It said the FBI and DOJ had shared their extensive experience with their Cypriot counterparts, resulting in enhanced capabilities to proactively detect, investigate and prosecute cases involving financial crimes with a nexus to Cyprus.

The US government, it added, provided expert investigative and prosecutorial assistance, significantly boosting Cypriot capacity to handle complex financial criminal cases.

“This partnership has also furthered efforts to counter money laundering and strengthen future prosecutions, improving the strength, integrity and resilience of the Cypriot legal system and economy,” the joint statement said.

The collaboration remains an ongoing effort, it added, saying the US “remains committed” to ongoing coordination with Cypriot law enforcement to strengthen capabilities in countering illicit finance.

One example cited was the joint effort and positive collaboration to relocate the Regional Legal Advisor (RLA) to Cyprus. The RLA programme brings US prosecutors to help governments more effectively prosecute criminals, especially in complex cases, the statement said.

It added that in the near future, there was going to be an ambitious 2025 training plan to continue “developing new skills and capacity in Cypriot counterparts”, both locally and at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Budapest.

At present, the plan contains over 21 weeks of training to different Cypriot law enforcement agencies in areas such as financial investigative and forensic accounting techniques, case management and technological solutions relevant to investigations.

The partnership initiated by the FBI/DOJ Working Group would also continue, “ensuring thorough investigative work upholds the highest standards of justice and leads to successful prosecutions”.
“The United States and the Republic of Cyprus have a shared vision for justice and are united in their dedication to enhancing collaboration on critical law enforcement topics,” the joint statement concluded.