POLAND: GOP PREPARES FOR FATF EVALUATION

UNCLAS WARSAW 000634 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/ERA, EB/ESC/TFS, INR/EC EUR/NCE FOR DKOSTELANCIK AND MSESSUMS TREASURY FOR MGAERTNER USDOC FOR 4232/ITA/MAC/EUR/JBURGESS, JKIMBALL, MWILSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN KCRM PTER PREL PL SUBJECT: POLAND: GOP PREPARES FOR FATF EVALUATION REF: A. USDOC 874 ¶B. 05 WARSAW 791 Sensitive but unclassified - not for internet distribution ¶1. (SBU) Contacts at Poland's Ministry of Finance reported to Econoff that the Ministry is preparing for a Financial Action Task Force evalution that will occur in May. Ministry of Finance contacts stated that they expect results to be issued within six months of the visit, and that the Ministry will post results to its website once they are received. ¶2. (SBU) Comment. The GOP continues to pursue its goal of FATF membership. Our contacts mentioned that Poland has complied with all previous FATF recommendations and believe that this evaluation will show the strength of the GOP's anti-money laundering program. Though the GOP still would like to become a member of FATF, our contact echoed the common wisdom within the GOP that understands that membership is now more a political than technical issue. HILLAS