Doha, October 21 (QNA) - Qatar Central Bank (QCB) Assistant Governor for Supervision Hamad Ahmad Al Mulla ​underscored the ongoing cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom (UK) to exchange best practices and discuss the latest developments in combating the financing of terrorism.

This cooperation supports joint efforts to protect the global financial system and enhance coordination in addressing ongoing threats, Al Mulla​ added.

This came during his opening remarks at the workshop on combating terrorism financing organized by the National Anti Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Committee (NAMLC) in cooperation with the British Embassy Doha.

The Assistant Governor highlighted the workshop's role in enhancing the British side's understanding and getting it acquainted with Qatar's experience in combating money laundering and terrorism financing, and exploring opportunities for joint cooperation and knowledge exchange regarding regional challenges and practices, as to strengthen international efforts in confronting this complex phenomenon.

He pointed out that the workshop serves as a valuable opportunity for national entities to enhance their acquisition of best practices used in the UK and to establish direct communication channels with their counterparts there, contributing to the development of national policies and procedures, improving the efficiency of work teams, and enhancing coordination among various concerned bodies.

Al Mulla also indicated that the workshop discussed several important topics, including the nature of threats and general trends in terrorism financing, public-private partnership models, joint prosecutions and investigations, the role of law enforcement authorities and regulatory bodies in combating terrorism financing, as well as the UK's global strategy and approach to international sanctions, in addition to the use of crypto assets and crowdfunding as potential tools for illicit financing.

For his part, Director of the Counter-Terrorism Department in the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Alastair Totty highlighted the cooperation with the Qatari side in combating terrorism financing, pointing to the importance of exchanging expertise between both parties.

The British official stated that his country is firmly committed to disrupting terrorism financing, with its current focus within the UK being on detecting and preventing self-financing and the misuse of legitimate sectors, whereas its focus internationally is on targeting the financial infrastructure that supports major terrorist organizations.

Totty noted that the UK is working on updating its international counter-terrorism strategy to ensure its integration with the broader counter-terrorism strategy. (QNA)