Damascus, July 23 (SANA)President of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), Hamid al-Zaabi, said Syria’s launch of a national strategy to combat money laundering and terrorism financing reflects a clear political commitment to developing the country’s national framework and advancing institutional reforms under the leadership of President Ahmadal-Sharaa.

In remarks to SANA on Thursday, al-Zaabi said his visit comes at an important stage as Syria moves forward with efforts to strengthen its national framework, enhance the effectiveness of state institutions, and reinforce coordination among the authorities concerned.

He explained that theMENAFATFdelegation’s visit is part of efforts to strengthen cooperation with member states, support their national initiatives to develop systems to combat money laundering terrorism financing, and enhance their preparedness for the third-round mutual evaluation process in line with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Al-Zaabi described the launch of Syria’s national strategy as an important milestone that reflects a clear national vision for the next phase. He said such strategies go beyond serving as regulatory documents, providing instead a comprehensive framework for unifying efforts, setting priorities, strengthening coordination among national institutions, ensuring the sustainability of reforms, and improving institutional performance.

He noted that the third-round mutual evaluation should be viewed as a national opportunity for development rather than merely a technical assessment, as it enables countries to comprehensively evaluate their performance, identify areas for improvement, strengthen interagency coordination, and promote a culture of continuous institutional development.

Al-Zaabi added that successfully implementing national action plans and addressing strategic deficiencies in accordance with FATF methodology produces benefits beyond the anti-money laundering framework, extending to broader financial and economic sectors.

Al-Zaabi said international experience has shown that strengthening systems of combating money laundering and terrorism financing enhances the confidence of international financial institutions, reinforces banking relationships, improves the investment environment, increases the competitiveness of the national economy, and supports sustainable development, making the issue an important driver of economic growth rather than solely a regulatory matter.

He stressed that addressing strategic deficiencies and supporting Syria’s efforts to exit the FATF grey list would represent an important step toward strengthening the country’s position within the global financial system, expanding cooperation with international financial institutions, attracting investment, promoting trade, and enhancing confidence in the Syrian economy.

Al-Zaabi also emphasized that high-level political commitment is the cornerstone of any successful national framework, noting that international experience has consistently demonstrated that political will drives institutional development and enables authorities to translate strategies into sustainable results.

He expressed MENAFATF’s appreciation for Syria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its national framework, enhance coordination among competent authorities, build national capacities, and launch initiatives that reinforce institutional governance.

Al-Zaabi affirmed that MENAFATF will continue providing technical assistance, exchanging expertise, and supporting capacity-building initiatives, stressing that the success of any member state strengthens the effectiveness of the regional framework as a whole and enhances the region’s ability to combat financial crimes and cross-border challenges.

Expressing confidence in Syria’s future progress, Al-Zaabi said the next phase offers an important opportunity to build on recent achievements, particularly the launch of the national strategy and preparations for the mutual evaluation process, helping to reflect the scale of national efforts, strengthen international confidence, support the national economy, and reinforce Syria’s role as an active partner in regional and international efforts to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.

On Tuesday, Chairman of the Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Commission Safwat Raslan launched a workshop entitled “Towards a New Strategy to Combat Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing and the Proliferation of Weapons in Syria,” in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Earlier on Thursday, the General Secretariat of the Presidency hosted a high-level meeting bringing together the Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Commission, representatives of relevant national institutions, and a MENAFATF delegation headed by Al-Zaabi.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental watchdog that sets global standards to protect the international financial system from criminal abuse. Founded in 1989 by the G7 nations, it was initially created to study and combat drug-related money laundering.