ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 6. Kazakhstan and Switzerland agree on mutual assistance in the recovery of illegally transferred assets, Trend reports.
During his visit to the Swiss capital, Bern, the Attorney General of Kazakhstan, Berik Asylov, held talks with the Attorney General of Switzerland, Stefan Blättler, and the Deputy Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Justice, Lorenz Fontana-Yungo. The parties discussed current issues of international legal cooperation in criminal matters and ways to enhance the effectiveness of mechanisms for the recovery of illegally removed assets.
The head of the supervisory authority informed his colleagues about the reforms being carried out by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, including the adoption of a Law on the Return of Illegally Removed Assets in July 2023 and the establishment of a relevant committee under the General Prosecutor's Office of Kazakhstan. He noted that since 2022, over $3.5 billion has been returned to Kazakhstan.
Representatives of the Swiss Office of Justice expressed support for Kazakhstan's intention to join the European Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
As a result of the visit, an intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters was signed. The document was signed on behalf of the Government of Kazakhstan by the Attorney General and on behalf of the Swiss Government by the Deputy Director of the Federal Office of Justice. The Memorandum reflects the desire of both countries to accelerate and simplify procedures for exchanging evidence and information in criminal cases, including the return of illegally removed assets.
Kazakhstan is a member of the Swiss-registered "Global Environment Fund". Switzerland supported Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the OSCE in 2010 and its accession to the WTO. Both countries have mutually supported each other's candidacies for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council. Kazakhstan and Switzerland collaborate in both economic and political spheres.