Financial Crime World

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Compliance Training for Financial Professionals in Armenia and Georgia

A recent two-day workshop on compliance was organized by a group of experts in Dilijan, Armenia, bringing together over 60 professionals from the Armenian banking sector to discuss key aspects of financial regulations and risk management.

Event Highlights

The event, held on November 30 and December 1, 2023, was facilitated by Martial N Smets of Argos Advisory and featured real-life case studies to illustrate international sanctions risk, regulatory frameworks, correspondent banking, financial crime compliance, and trade-based money laundering. The workshop kicked off with a presentation from Adam Lewis of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on the bank’s approach to compliance.

Presentations

The event featured several key presentations, including:

  • A presentation from the United States Treasury regarding the Office of Foreign Assets Control program
  • A presentation from the National Bank of Armenia on regulatory enforcement in Georgia
  • A presentation from Armen Nurbekyan, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia
  • A presentation from Anna Khachatryan, Associate Director at the EBRD
  • A presentation from Innesa Amirbekyan, Chair of the ICC Banking Commission Armenia

Georgia Workshop

The same workshop was also held in Georgia on December 4 and 5, 2023, organized by a team of experts with the National Bank of Georgia, ICC Georgia, and Argos Advisory. The Georgian workshop featured presentations from:

  • Davit Tutberidze, Head of Macroeconomics Research Division at the National Bank of Georgia
  • Eka Goglidze, Head of Division for International Sanctions’ Implementation and Inspection
  • Martial N Smets on global regulatory changes and circumvention risks

Panel Discussion

A panel discussion on business trends and shifts in international trade in 2023 concluded the first day, while the second day delved into banking control frameworks on financial crime compliance and relevant typologies on international sanctions.

Workshop Conclusion

The workshop saw strong engagement from over 60 professionals from the Georgian banking sector and their corporate clients. The event was welcomed by:

  • Alkis Drakinos, Regional Director at the EBRD
  • Sophia Asanidze, acting head of the AML/CTF Department at the National Bank of Georgia
  • Fady Asly, Chairman of the Regional Consultative Group at the ICC Banking Commission Georgia