SLOVENIA: IMPLEMENTING ANTI-TERRORIST FINANCE

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000134 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS EB/ESC/TFS KLEAHY, EB/ESC/TFS LCANNON, S/CT PHILL, S/ST FINANCE GALER AND NOVIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL PTER LE SI SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: IMPLEMENTING ANTI-TERRORIST FINANCE REGULATIONS REF: A. SECSTATE 16120 ¶B. SECSTATE 16917 ¶C. SECSTATE 24344 ¶1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel points to Andrej Plausteiner, Acting Director of the Office of Money Laundering Prevention at the Ministry of Finance. Plausteiner is also the point of contact for terrorist finance issues. The Government of Slovenia (GOS) is in the process of harmonizing its laws with all EU directives. The GOS expects to be fully aligned with EU directives for money laundering prevention and terrorist finance by May 2007, a full seven months earlier than the deadline given the GOS by the EU. To date, the GOS has had no indication of terrorist finance activities within Slovenia. Plausteiner noted that several Bosnian Islamic humanitarian organizations have opened accounts in Slovenia. The accounts are under regular monitoring. ¶2. (SBU) In response to the Special FATF Recommendation IX on Cash Couriers, Plausteiner informed Econoff that, according to Article 27 of the Slovene Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering, customs authorities are obliged to forward to the Office for Money Laundering Prevention information about every carrier transporting across the state border cash and securities exceeding the amount of 12,500 euros. The GOS is enacting significant measures to monitor financial activities. ROBERTSON