YEREVAN, July 12. / ARKA /. Armenian prime minister Tigran Sarkisian praised today the Financial Monitoring Center of the Central Bank of Armenia when meeting a delegation of financial intelligence units of Egmont Group headed by the chairman Boudvinom Verhelstom, saying it conforms with best international standards.

Yerevan is hosting from 11 to 15 July an Egmond committee meeting. The participants are discussing co-operation of financial intelligence in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. The meeting has brought about 290 delegates from 102 countries and several international institutions like IMF, WB and FATF.

"I am glad that Egmont Group decided to hold its recurrent meeting in Armenia. It is a great honor to receive the delegates in Armenia, to discuss the challenges facing the financial intelligence units, the existing problems and further action," Sarkisian was quoted by the government press service as saying.

"The Armenian authorities have always attached great importance to the issues of money laundering and, from this point of view, the country's rating has always been good," said the prime minister.

He stressed that the exchange of experience at international and regional levels will contribute to increased efficiency of financial intelligence units.

Egmont was established in 1995 at the initiative of financial intelligence authorities of Belgium and the United States and now it includes financial intelligence agencies of 120 countries.  -0-