Astana hosted Kazakhstan-Russian Forum on Financial Security Education for Schoolchildren and Students

On March 27, Astana, Kazakhstan hosted the Kazakhstan-Russian Forum on Financial Security Education for Schoolchildren and Students. The Russian delegation, headed by Yury Chikhanchin, Director of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, included Ivan Uvarov, Director of the ITMCFM.

Also representing the Russian side were Natalya Parshikova, Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation D.N. Chernyshenko, rectors of leading Russian member universities affiliated with the International Network AML/CFT Institute, and officials of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service.

Representing Kazakhstan were Zhanat Elimanov, Chairman of the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, university rectors, and other experts.

Mr. Chikhanchin highlighted the long-standing and productive partnership between the two countries in countering common security threats, as well as cooperation on a number of projects, including the International Olympiad on Financial Security. He emphasized that in just five years, the Olympiad’s international reach expanded from 7 to nearly 40 countries.

“What explains the tremendous interest in the Olympiad and the events held on its sidelines? The first and foremost reason is the rapid integration of advanced information technologies into everyday life, governance, and business operations. The world is confronting a growing deficit in essential knowledge, including in the financial sphere. The second reason is profound transformations in the political and economic landscape that are reshaping intergovernmental relations. Financial systems are evolving - new institutions, payment systems, and flows are emerging,” the Head of the Service explained.

The Olympiad is intended to address a range of objectives, including the enrichment of knowledge in the field of financial security, cultivate a new generation of AML professionals, and more.

Zhanat Elimanov emphasized that the meeting would serve as an additional driver for forming an effective “Financial Security Zone” in the region:

“Our primary goal is to protect citizens, especially young people, from becoming involved in illicit financial activities. We must systematically improve their knowledge of the financial security and digital hygiene fundamentals. This forum plays a key role. It will not only serve as a platform for sharing best practices but will also allow us to jointly identify effective solutions.”

Forum discussions covered topics such as comprehensive AML/CFT personnel training, youth education in financial security and literacy, the digital transformation of financial security and AML/CFT, the role of artificial intelligence in financial data processing, initiatives of the International Movement on Financial Security, and other topics.

Ivan Uvarov, Director General of the ITMCFM, elaborated on several key areas of the International Movement on Financial Security, e.g. promoting the moral, cultural, and historical heritage of partner countries and developing a unified digital platform for the members (the Sodruzhestvo Platform).

Mr. Uvarov also presented recent progress on the development under the International Network AML/CFT Institute (INI) and recognized the significant contribution made by INI members to fostering a society free from modern financial risks and threats.

The Russian delegation concluded its visit with a stop at Astana IT University, which formally joined the INI through a signed cooperation agreement.