ROMANIA: TERRORISM FINANCE COORDINATION OFFICER

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUCHAREST 001707 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT - PATTY HILL, INL/C/CP - STEVEN PETERSON, AND IO/PSC - JOHN SANDAGE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2016 TAGS: KTFN ETTC KVPR EFIN PTER PREL RO SUBJECT: ROMANIA: TERRORISM FINANCE COORDINATION OFFICER REF: SECSTATE 181096 Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Jennifer Bonner for reaso ns 1.5(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) The following information is geared to reftel cable request: A) Contact information for TFCO: John Rodgers; Economic Section Chief; 4021 200-3440; rodgersjr@state.gov; rodgersj@state.sgov.gov; B) Contact information for deputy TFCO: Benjamin Rockwell; Deputy Economic Section Chief; 4021 200-3436; rockwellba@state.gov; rockwellb@state.sgov.gov; C) Suggestions on how to improve coordination: Post has an active and long-standing anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing program coordinated by TFCO, operated by the Department of Treasury,s Office of Technical Assistance and financed through USAID,s Support for East European Democracy (SEED) fund. However, Seed-funded programs are being phased out in the face of Romania,s accession to the European Union, to take place on January 1, ¶2007. Post will continue to closely interact with GOR counterparts, but will lack the previous resources available to provide relevant training to anti-money laundering authorities. Post has identified several areas in need of continued assistance, including improving supervision of casinos, exchange houses, insurance houses, securities exchange houses, etc. Post welcomes inclusion in regional initiatives in Southeast Europe, and believes that the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) Law Enforcement Center in Bucharest could serve as a vehicle for such initiatives. (d) Post verifies the accuracy of the information contained in reftel chart. Taubman