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Statement
VNESHECONOMBANK INFORMS OF:
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Increased vigilance when establishing correspondent relations with non-resident banks, incorporated in the countries and on the territories that have a preferential tax regime and/or where it is not required to disclose information related to financial operations (offshore zones), as well as when effecting transactions with residents of such states and territories;
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Absence of accounts with the banks incorporated in the states (on the territories), which, according to international sources, do not comply with generally accepted standards intended to counteract legalization of illicit gains (money laundering) and terrorism financing;
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Absence of correspondent accounts and correspondent relations with non-resident banks that have no standing managing bodies in the countries of their incorporation;
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Taking measures designed to prevent establishing relations with non-resident banks, whose accounts are known to be used by banks that have no standing managing bodies in the countries of their incorporation.
Statement by the Group of Russian Banks:
“Banks are against Money Laundering”
In order to combat penetration of criminal capital into the economies of states and fight terrorist financing many countries in the world have already established or are establishing governmental mechanisms to counter money laundering and are joining forces in the this field under the auspices of international organizations.
The Russian Federation has already joined the international system of measures designed to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, and it is an active member of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) and the Egmont Group. Russia’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing legislation pays due regard to basic recommendations made by the international community.
Taking into account that banking products and services are used as a channel to launder criminal proceeds and to finance terrorist and recognizing that Russian applicable legislation is to be strictly complied with,
RUSSIA’S SBERBANK,
VNESHTORGBANK,
VNESHECONOMBANK,
ALFA-BANK,
THE MOSCOW BANK,
ZENIT BANK,
UNICREDIT BANK,
REIFFEISENBANK AUSTRIA, THE CITY OF MOSCOW
state that in conducting their business they will be seeking to:
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prevent their banks from being used for money laundering and terrorist financing;
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identify all bank customers;
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apply “Know Your Customer” rules to all bank customers;
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refuse to open accounts to bearer;
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establish contractual relationship with lending-financial institutions that take measures to counter money laundering and terrorist financing;
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refuse to establish contractual relationship and conduct transactions with the participation of banks that are physically non-existent at the place of their registration;
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promptly inform the federal executive agency authorized to take measures to counter money laundering and terrorist financing (FSFM) of operations and transactions the data on which are required to be submitted.
Taking into account formidable tasks, the Russian banking community are confronted with in curbing money laundering and terrorist financing, the above mentioned banks will make the following joint efforts in fulfilling requirements of Russian legislation and international organizations:
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To share their experience in establishing internal controls in order to fight money laundering and terrorist financing.
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To develop unified approaches to apply “Know Your Customer” rules and to assess customer’s risk.
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To jointly work out methods designed to detect suspicious transactions, financial schemes and distinctive money laundering and terrorist financing features.
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To pursue a unified policy towards respondent banks.
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To define uniform standards set for training personnel in the field of fighting money laundering and terrorist financing, and to hold joint training workshops, roun- table discussions and scientific conferences.
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To work out joint proposals to be submitted to the Bank of Russian, the Financial Markets Federal Service and the Financial Monitoring Federal Service to streamline the legislative and normative framework in the field of countering money laundering and terrorist financing, and to assist them in drafting normative and legal acts in the field.
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To expand cooperation between each other based on the principle of voluntariness.
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To promote cooperation with Russian and foreign banks, groups and associations interested in enhancing and streamlining the Russian and international system designed to counter money laundering and terrorist financing.
This Statement is open to Russian lending institutions that share the said principles and intentions and they can sign up for it.
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