The Special Investigation Service (STT) was visited by the delegation headed by the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev. The STT, together with other Lithuanian authorities, shared good practices in the search process for criminally acquired property. This is the second visit to Lithuania by law enforcement representatives from the Republic of Azerbaijan as part of a European Union (EU) funded twinning project to help establish the system for the recovery and management of assets derived from crime in Azerbaijan.
“I am very pleased to be working with our Lithuanian partners. Lithuania's experience in investigating corruption crimes and recovering assets acquired through crime will contribute significantly to the development of our national legal and institutional framework for asset recovery. It will also further strengthen bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Lithuania,” said Kamran Aliyev, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
During their visit to Lithuania this week, the prosecutors of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan are gaining experience at the STT, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Centre of Registers, the Centre of Excellence in Anti-Money Laundering, the Financial Crimes Investigation Service, and the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau. The meetings focus on the analysis of financial flows, valuation of assets, and investigation of cryptocurrency transactions.
“In implementing the Twinning projects, the study visits are one of the key tools not only for transferring experience but also for establishing close cooperation links. The visit of the highest ranking law enforcement representatives of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Lithuania demonstrates their willingness to create a strong anti-corruption environment and a new system for the recovery and management of assets acquired through crime. I am pleased that not only STT officials, but also representatives of other Lithuanian authorities are making such a strong contribution to the implementation of these objectives,” said the STT Director and Twinning Project Manager Žydrūnas Bartkus.
The EU-funded project will provide for the development of a national asset recovery system in Azerbaijan, including the development of the asset recovery strategy and action plan, the drafting of the asset recovery law and other legal acts. It is also planned to reorganise the Department for Special Coordination of Confiscation Issues of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan into the National Authority for Asset Recovery.
The duration of the project “Support for the reform of the criminal assets’ recovery and management system of Azerbaijan" (No AZ 20 ENI JH 01 21) is 2 years. The project implementation started in February 2022.
