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Chief banker optimistic Iran would accept FATF demands

Iran’s chief banker hints FATF conventions could finally go through a top legislative body in the country.

Central Bank of Iran (CBI) governor Abdolnasser Hemmati has suggested for a first time that a top legislative body in the country would finally pass recommendations required for global money-laundering watchdog FATF to remove Iran from its blacklist.

Hemmati said on Thursday that he had got a good impression from members of Iran’s The Expediency Discernment Council in a recent meeting held to discuss FATF conventions.

“There was no negative atmosphere in the Expediency Council as we answered all questions made by the members,” said Hemmati in comments covered by official IRNA news agency.

The Expediency Council is expected to make a final decision on whether Iran should approve the Financial Action Task Force’s Palermo and terrorist financing convention in order to be removed from a blacklist compiled by the Paris-based body and recommended to governments and financial systems around the world.

The Iranian administrative government asked the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei last year to allow a renewed discussion on FATF in the Council, where members had almost unanimously rejected the two controversial conventions on the grounds that they would expose Iran’s efforts to get round the US sanctions.

However, Hemmati and other senior government officials have been invited to attend Council meetings in recent weeks to brief members about implications of Iran’s potential decision to approve FATF requirements.

Hemmati expressed hope that the Council would “adopt a good decision” on the two remaining conventions.

“Ratifying these conventions would benefit the country ... This issue is one of the banking necessities and making a decision has long been delayed,” said the CBI chief.


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