International coordination and financial investigations: ESBU and the Central Customs Authority of Germany discussed joint priorities

 More practical cooperation, faster information exchange, and capacity building in the field of financial investigations. These areas became key during the meeting between representatives of the ESBU and the Central Customs Authority of the Federal Republic of Germany.

On behalf of the Bureau, the meeting was attended by the Deputy Director of the Bureau, Pavlo Buzdyhan; the Acting Head of the Department for European Integration, International Cooperation, Strategic Partnership, and Data Exchange, Yuliia Popadiuk; as well as representatives of the Bureau's specialized units.

The German side was represented by Ralf Malchin, the representative of the Central Customs Authority of Germany to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, and his assistant, Maksym Ivanov.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state of cooperation and opportunities for its further development. Special attention was paid to practical interaction in the field of financial investigations, information exchange, and strengthening the Bureau's institutional capacity to counter economic offenses.

Ralf Malchin announced the completion of his four-year tenure in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. He thanked the ESBU representatives for their effective, practical, and fruitful cooperation over the recent years. Ralf Malchin also informed that a new representative of the Central Customs Authority of Germany has already been appointed and is expected to start working in Ukraine in the near future.

The Deputy Director of the ESBU, Pavlo Buzdyhan, for his part, thanked Ralf Malchin for the cooperation and wished him success in his future professional activities.

A separate area of discussion was further international coordination in countering large-scale smuggling. The ESBU representatives were informed about plans to hold a coordination meeting in the autumn within the framework of the FALCON project with the participation of competent authorities of partner countries, customs and border agencies, and international organizations.

The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine is grateful to its German partners for the open dialogue, exchange of experience, and constructive cooperation. The established interaction lays the foundation for further strengthening of joint efforts to counter economic crimes and large-scale smuggling.